Redemption
by fuuko no miko
Summary: Because every villain needs a back story...witness the birth of Commander Tygra of Mumm-Ra's Invincible Army. A prequel and a sequel to In His Shoes.
1. A Descent Into Darkness

Redemption

A Spinoff of In His Shoes

Part 1

A Descent Into Darkness

3/11/12

_Author Notes:_

_First, for all the copyright folks out there, I OWN NOTHING of the Thundercats, its fandom, or its characters. They are the babies of WB etcetera etcetera. Please don't sue me, I can't afford lawyers and I have horrible bills I have to deal with. _

_As you see, this should've made its way out to fanfic world about a month ago. But like some authors I was stuck…._

_Then there was the atrocity that was episode 14. Yes that was NOT helpful. Episode 15 redeemed it some. Then real life gets in the way and you're really in trouble._

_For those who are not familiar with In His Shoes, you can access it through my profile. It's rated M, so please be warned it gets a little…no A LOT graphic. If you are below 18, just PM me and I will tell you what the premise of IHS is, sans the censored part. _

_This takes place in an alternative world so **this Lion-O is not the king you know**. Fair warning for Lion-O worshippers, don't say I didn't warn you otherwise. _

_So…without further ado, or in my case, further yakking, I humbly present for your consideration…._

* * *

"You are one of us, Tygra." the lioness assured him with a validating embrace, the back of her hand wiping the tear that fell down his bruised 5 year old cheek. "Don't let anybody tell you different." she said as she kissed the pain of the wound away.

The little tiger sniffled, trying unsuccessfully to stop the rapid flow of tears. It stung the open graze on his face but what hurt more was the cause of the fight that brought it on. He had been playing with the other young royals when one of them had started calling him a "bastard" and "street urchin". Needless to say he injured himself trying to defend what he knew he was, but did not acknowledge.

"I love you son." the queen of Thundera ruffled his unruly orange mop. "I love you just as much as I love your little brother."

The tiger smiled. "I love you too Mommy." he hugged her. For as long as he could remember, Queen Iridia had been his mother. He never paid heed to the fact that neither her nor King Claudus looked anything remotely close to him. All he knew was they were his parents and that he loved them and his little brother more than anything in the whole world.

Two years later that had all changed.

An epidemic had taken rule of Thundera that one horrible stretch of summer. The queen had become one of those who had fallen ill and her life drained away from her slowly, agonizingly. Her passing had become more of a welcoming end to the pain and suffering she had endured. When they buried her, Tygra felt as though his heart had gone with her, as crushed as it was watching her wither away with disease.

The queen's passing signaled an end to many things.

Among that, his happy existence.

For King Claudus had gotten despondent and distant upon his beloved's death. He spent many a day languishing in misery mourning over her. He had almost shut down the two boys who had called him father and had it not been for a rude wake-up call by his advisor Jaga, he would've suffered the same fate as the queen, only from a different cause but of one definite end.

When he looked at the two children, his eyes had drifted to the younger one, his biologic son, Lion-O and realized the uncanny resemblance to his deceased wife. This boy was part of him and her, and was the only thing left he had to remind him by of the feline he had loved the most. That he must be cherished for the rest of his days was beyond question.

He then turned to his adopted boy, Tygra. The orphaned child of a dear family friend he had known through most of his life. They had taken him under his wing when Iridia had lost hope of bearing an heir to their throne. They loved him like their own, and they promised to continue to do so, even after finding out on Tygra's third birthday that the queen was with child. King Claudus intended to keep that promise.

Of course, not all promises get to be kept. And not all intentions, no matter how noble they are, come to good fruition.

The older the boys had become, the more King Claudus realized how much he missed his better half, and how much their biologic son was like her.

He was always curious, always happy, and found joy in the simplest of things. It was almost like having Iridia alive again, in the form of their child.

Despite his determination to keep things equal between the boys, the King of Thundera had found more favor with his younger son. Though he didn't seem to notice, the people surrounding him did.

"Look at me, Grune!" a nine year old Tygra had started to swing a heavy sword in play, showing the saber tooth his newly acquired skill.

The soldier had smiled at him. "You're very talented, Prince Tygra." He remarked. "Have you showed that to your father?"

"I did this morning." He happily replied. "Not sure if he noticed though. He was trying to teach Lion-O how to hold one of these."

"You learned it so much faster than he did." Grune noted.

"Yeah but I'm older." The young tiger reasoned. "I should learn things faster."

"I suppose." The saber tooth shrugged. "Would you like to learn more things you can do with the sword?"

"Sure!"

Grune smiled…for more reasons than one.

"Ha! Beat you again!" the tiger proudly exclaimed

* * *

as with one flip of his wooden sword, he sent his brother's weapon flying across the courtyard. He then aimed the tip of his weapon at his younger sibling, signaling his triumph.

"I'm going to beat you someday." The smaller cat replied as he dusted himself off. "You're just bigger."

"I'm just better." Tygra stuck his tongue out at Lion-O.

"Now, now, Tygra." King Claudus reached out to the smaller lion who jumped into his massive arms. "What did we say about gloating?"

"That it's not a good thing to do." The tiger bit his lower lip, suddenly feeling ashamed of his victory. "Sorry father."

"It's okay, son." The king ruffled the older cub's head. "We just know not to do it next time, right?"

"Yes Father."

Tygra's shoulders fell as his father and brother turned about and headed back to the castle to get ready for supper. The tiger remained in the courtyard, looking at the sword that was no longer a source of his pride, but more of an embarrassment. He saw a massive shadow approach him from one corner.

"There is no shame in being a better fighter." Grune put his large hand on the prince's shoulder. "You father just babies your little brother too much."

The young tiger looked up at the saber tooth. "He's right Grune. I shouldn't be gloating."

"Your father isn't always right, boy." The older tiger stared at him intently. "What's wrong with being good and being confident about it? Why, if you were my son, I would shout to the entire world how incredible a fighter you are at such a young age!"

Tygra's eyes lit up like headlights, "You would?"

"How can I not?" Grune patted him proudly on the shoulders. "You're a very special boy, Tygra. Some days I wish you were my own."

"Sometimes I wish you were my dad too, Grune." Tygra said.

That comment satisfied the saber tooth more than Tygra would ever know.

* * *

Seasons passed. Both princes grew. The tiger had visibly outshone his younger sibling in matters of scholarly activity and in sparring skills. Mostly because he had never stopped trying to catch his father's eye. If Lion-O practiced for two hours, he practiced for four. If the lion battled with one of the palace guards, he would train with two or three. For every bruise and bump his sibling received, he had injured himself at least twice or three times as much. Tygra didn't care that he worked harder, he wanted to because for once, he wanted to see the pride in King Claudus' eyes. The King did acknowledge his efforts, but the older he grew, he realized that the amount of praise he got did not seem to be commensurate with the efforts he had put in.

"I don't know why you're trying to kill yourself trying to impress King Claudus." Urdu, a good friend and sparring partner once told Tygra while they were resting in between practice sessions. "There's no way in hell you're going to be king."

"I know I can't be king." The thirteen year old tiger replied. "I just want him to be proud of me. Just as much as he is with Lion-O."

Urdu managed to laugh a little. "Dear friend, you know that's never going to happen. Trust me."

The tiger's brows crossed. "Why not? I'm as good as he is, if not better."

The leopard stood up and patted the younger cat on the shoulder. "Tygra, every single person in this kingdom knows you're the better warrior, but in his highness eyes' no one is going to top his blood child."

Tygra angrily pushed his friend away. "My father is fair! He loves both of us."

Urdu shrugged. "I didn't say he didn't love you. I'm saying he loves your brother more. He's taken to him more than you because Lion-O is the spitting image of the queen."

The young tiger tried to hold tears back. "That's not true."

The older cat shrugged. "Suit yourself." He paused to pick up his staff before speaking again. "The earlier you accept the fact that you're not going to be number one, the easier it'll be on you when the time comes. You're my friend, Prince Tygra. I wouldn't lie to you and I don't want to see you hurt in the long run."

The prince stomped angrily away, his irate form followed by the stare of the older leopard.

"You'll know someday, Tygra." He murmured under his breath. "Life is not fair."

* * *

Urdu wasn't the only one who had pointed this fact to Tygra.

So had some of the more well-meaning soldiers he had known, and sometimes the other royals he had battled in practice. He had attributed this to nothing but misconception and malice. He had never stopped believing that his father was just and had loved them equally even if they did not share blood. He had turned a deaf ear to the whispers behind his back.

"Father! Father!" the tiger excitedly ran up to the study where King Claudus had been reviewing plans for the renovation of the solider barracks. Tygra flashed him a letter with the seal of a military school in the neighboring kingdom. "I have been accepted to train with General Arthos!" he excitedly referred to the area's most skilled military tactician. He was a laconic but exceptionally brilliant military leader who took no less than the best students around.

"That's very good Tygra." The king barely looked up from the plans he was studying to give his older son a passing glance. "But then again, I am not surprised. Arthos knows talent when he sees it."

"I want to train with General Arthos too, father." Lion-O piped up from a corner of the room where he was tinkering with an unusual looking disk.

"You're too young for that son." King Claudus turned to his younger child. "But perhaps in two or three years I can talk with Arthos and let you train with him."

Tygra tried not to let his father's sentence dampen his spirits. He didn't know the king could ask favors of the general. He had to go through a series of trials and physically challenging tests to even be considered for the spot. He had bested out fifty other cats just to get to even talk with General Arthos.

_Maybe he just forgot that I asked him about it a few months ago_, he thought. He smiled inwardly and just focused on the fact that he had been accepted to train with the legendary general.

"Your boy is an exceptional student, your highness." Arthos remarked about a month later, as he sat down to dinner with the king one evening. "He's got to be the best student I've had in the last ten years!"

"Tygra is a very diligent worker." The king commented as he took a sip of wine.

"You know, if you ever change your mind about crowning a successor to the throne…"

"Tygra cannot be king, Arthos." Claudus cut his friend's sentence short. "The written law is that a lion of the bloodline must take the helm."

"But surely you can make an exception?" Arthos asked. "This boy is very talented and smart. I think he will make an excellent king."

"Lion-O will make a great king." The monarch of Thundera replied. "He's just as intelligent, gallant and dedicated, if not more so."

Arthos raised a brow. "That's not exactly what I hear through the grapevine." He chuckled a little. "A little birdie told me he has a tendency to goof off in favor of this…technology."

A more serious expression crossed King Claudus features. "They are nothing but rumors spread by the jealous." He answered tartly. "You will know of his talents when you start training him."

"Are we skipping the natural process of selection now?" Arthos took a sip of his own wine. "You and I may be friends Claudus but I'd really like to put my potential students through the ringer first."

"You can't deny the future ruler of Thundera." Claudus laughed.

"If you put it that way…"

From behind the doorway, ears had perked upon listening to this conversation. The praise by his teacher had brought him elation, but his father's indifference pulled him back from that momentary walk in the clouds. Tygra walked away silently, not wanting to hear the rest of their discussion.

_What's so special about Tygra anyway?_

A different cat had been eavesdropping on the conversation between the two leaders as well, although he was on the other side of the room.

He never quite understood it.

For as long as he could remember, Lion-O had observed the difference in treatment between him and his older brother. While he knew his father loved him best, he didn't see the same kind of adoration from the other members of the king's court. Not that they didn't respect the future king, he just noticed they respected his brother more.

Why?

The most notable of them all was Captain Grune, who had no shame in flaunting that he thought the tiger deserved to be king. That he was in every way, shape and form, the better monarch of the two of them. Some high ranking ministers, military leaders and even neighboring kings thought so too. They mentioned that Claudus should just forget the rules and traditions in lieu of what would be best for the kingdom, and that was to make the tiger prince the ruler of all Thundera.

Needless to say, he was jealous.

That he was popular with the young females of the palace and every other kingdom for that matter, further fanned that jealousy. When they would attend social events, they all flocked to his older brother's corner. He didn't care at first, but as he became older and his interest in the opposite sex grew, he became resentful that they found his brother witty and charming and irresistible, while he was shunned to the side and was even callously rebuffed for his verbal inadequacies at the art of flirtation.

He may have the throne and his father's adoration at his fingertips, but he yearned for the one thing his brother had that he did not possess.

The people's respect.

* * *

There was no mistaking those rose colored eyes.

He remembered the day they first met many years ago, as he stood guard by the palace gates and she had asked for directions.

It was the first time he felt his young heart skip out of place and his normally smooth tongue tie up. No female feline had ever made him feel that way before, and no one has since.

He had been meandering around the local marketplace out of boredom when he had chanced upon her examining the local produce. He found himself staring at her for several minutes, words escaping his normally suave tongue as he took in how beautifully she had bloomed in the years he had not seen her. She had been sequestered in the house of clerics and try as he might to catch a glimpse of her he had been repeatedly dispelled by their head cleric Jaga.

"You highness?" she flashed him a smile that almost made his knees buckle. He didn't realize that she had caught him ogling her. She offered him the nectarine she had been examining. "You've been eyeing this fruit for a while, here, it's on me."

"Err…"

She laughed a little as she handed him the fruit and paid the vendor a coin for it. She picked up the rest of the things she had purchased and began to walk away. Tygra felt like he was rooted to that spot as his lead-heavy feet refused to budge. She was already about twenty feet away from him before he got the sense to run after her.

"Cheetara!" he called her as he ran past the crowded streets to get to her. She turned about, her hair tossing across his shoulders in a way that almost rendered him speechless yet again.

"Yes you majesty?" she stopped in her tracks as he put the brakes on about a foot away from her. She was smiling at him again and Tygra had to mentally slap himself to snap himself out of it.

"Hi." He smiled sheepishly as he tried to grasp for words that typically came on naturally for him. "Thank you for the fruit…well, you didn't have to pay for it."

"That would have been stealing." She laughed a little.

"Yes…of course." He felt the crimson tinge his cheeks again almost like it did many years ago. "What I meant was….thank you. Uh…let me help you with that basket." He took the load she had in her arms, his hand brushing hers in the process. He had goosebumps at the point of contact and he had to summon his willpower not to react to it.

"Princes aren't supposed to carry loads for commoners." She teased as he hoisted the load on his shoulder.

"Well you're not that common." He turned on the smile that had charmed many a feline off their feet. It seemed he had gotten his suave self back into order. "And stop calling me your highness. It's Tygra."

"Yes, Tygra." His name on her lips was like music to his ears. They took their time walking back to the palace subconsciously prolonging their journey as much as it was allowed.

* * *

Little did Tygra know that his name on her lovely mouth would be mentioned in more than just casual conversation.

For he had wooed her patiently since he had the fortune to run into her in the marketplace, much as she tried to discourage him. She had turned down plenty of his advances, and he knew it was more from a sense of duty than anything else. He gave her room and tried not to get in the way of her sworn servitude to the crown. He chipped away at her defenses little by little and he was rewarded handsomely after many, many months down the road, when she finally gave in and allowed him to kiss her for the first time.

When her lips gave in to his prying mouth, the young prince thought the world could end then and there and he wouldn't care. He had her in his arms, her body pressed warmly against his, and her hands enveloped his waist. He had pulled back, needing to, but not necessarily wanting to, and met her rose-colored gaze with his.

"I love you, Cheetara." He declared as he pushed a strand of hair away from her face.

"I love you too, Tygra…." She echoed back, blushing profusely as she did. "All this time…"

That kiss was the first of many, and it lead on to more…intimate things. The prince had never looked at another female again and what free moment his duties would allow, he spent with her. When they were together nothing else had mattered. He didn't care that he was second fiddle to Lion-O in their father's eyes. It no longer bothered him that he was never going to be king or that his brother was to inherit the sword of Omens. He had her, and it was all he needed.

Their relationship was something he had kept under wraps, not because he was ashamed of it. Had it been up to him he would have paraded their love throughout all of third earth. But she had her duties and he had his, and while neither of them neglected it, he didn't want the higher clerics questioning her dedication. The last thing he wanted was for her to be questioned about her ability to function as protector to the crown.

"I will be gone for a few weeks my love." She whispered in his ear as he they laid next to each other under the night sky. He sat up and put his arms around his knees.

"A mission?" he queried even if he already knew the answer. "Can I come with you?"

She laughed, knowing he knew that he can't. "I'm not going to ditch you for another cat if that's what you're afraid of."

"I'm not afraid of that at all." He turned to her and put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to plant a kiss on her lips. "I'm just concerned about your safety."

"I'm very capable of protecting myself your highness." She smiled as he withdrew from her.

"You have to forgive me for doubting that…" he raised a brow. "So far you've failed at protecting yourself from a very viable threat…" a glint in his eye hinted whom he was referring to.

"Whoever said you were a threat?" she yelped as he semi-tackled her onto the ground again. His mouth over hers silenced any further protests. If she was going to be gone for weeks on end, he wanted to make the most of what time they had together.

* * *

The day she left she had given him a present.

A hand carved old cleric weapon. A blow dart that could shoot miniscule poison arrows that could temporarily render the recipient paralyzed. It had an inscription on it.

_For Tygra. I know this isn't much but it may come in handy someday. I made it myself. Take care, from Cheetara._

He couldn't wave goodbye to her as he saw her leave through the gates of Thundera, as he thought it would compromise their secret. He watched her through the cloak of his invisibility. She had left with King Claudus, Lion-O and a few other clerics. They were headed off to negotiate with the lizards and hopefully avert the eruption of War once and again. The kingdom was left under the watchful eye of Jaga and the prince.

Tygra sat in King Claudus' throne as he was allowed to at this time, being the royal left in charge. He felt an instant surge of power when he did, as visions of his court appeared before him. He knew every single one of the current ministers and military leaders and he already had in mind who would be perfect members of his council.

Of course, that was something he can only envision. For unless he was reborn a lion, he was never going to sit in this throne and rule.

What if Lion-O was never born?

Would they have allowed him to rule?

That point was moot, naturally. Because Lion-O did exist and the throne, the kingdom and the sword of Omens were all his to inherit. For the longest time he did resent this fact, as he knew he would be a very capable ruler, even General Arthos thought so as well as some outspoken members of King Claudus' court. Lion-O had a good heart, but he did have a tendency to be irresponsible and flighty at times. His brother had a lot of growing up to do, and the king spoiling him did not contribute to that.

Tygra sighed. _No sense in pondering over things you cannot change,_ he thought as he stood up and looked out the window. They say there's always a reason why things happen and maybe him not being the heir to the throne has its justifiable causes.

_Maybe kings cannot marry clerics_, he thought.

He pulled from his pocket the token of affection Cheetara had given him earlier today. He smiled, a warm sensation enveloping his heart.

_Lion-O can have the world_, he said to himself. _I've got all I need_.

_Wouldn't it be great to have everything though?'_

_The kingdom. The sword. The love of your life?_

_Yes that would be very nice indeed._

The tiger prince shook his head. _Where did that come from?_

It felt as though something had started invading his thoughts.

He looked around the throne room. No one else was there.

_Imagine yourself with a crown, your queen at your side, and a massive, loyal army behind you._

_You can more than rule Thundera, you could rule the all of third earth._

_Why settle for a Kingdom when you can have an empire?_

The tiger frowned as these thoughts permeated his brain, as though someone was feeding them into his head.

_Maybe I need to eat something_, he thought as he stood up and marched towards the royal dining hall. He had failed to notice the dark raven-like creature perched on one of the windows.

_Your soul will be mine._

* * *

The next few weeks would become very odd for the prince. His thoughts were being invaded, to say the least, with visions of power shifts and conquering worlds. The came mostly at night time when he would dream, so vivid that he thought they were reality. He would be at the helm of a powerful empire, Cheetara at his side as his queen and Thundera merely a small part of his vast territory, his brother still king but answerable to him as emperor.

Emperor Tygra.

It certainly had a nice ring to it.

At the break of dawn, he would wake up, feeling somewhat disappointed that it was only a fleeting vision of his subconscious mind. He would wake up and cast a glance at the prosperous kingdom below him and it would hit him daily, that this was something he could never have.

He wondered if this was his place in life. Second fiddle to his younger brother, whom, if truth be told, did not deserve all that which has been granted upon him. For had it been based on skills and capability, he knew in his heart that he was the better cat. But that was not the law of the land, and he would just have to accept his fate.

Accept it?

Or make his own.

He wondered if there was something out there…a place he can call his own…start his own kingdom and start new rules and traditions.

_Keep dreaming, Tygra_, he laughed at his seemingly own foolish ambition. It takes more than one determined cat to build a kingdom.

Well, make that two, he thought as he remembered his beloved. She would be home in a few days and he couldn't help but count the hours until she did. He had missed her terribly and had come to a decision about their relationship when she returned.

His eyes wandered off to a beautiful sparkling trinket he had laid upon his nightstand. He had this one particularly made for her by the finest jeweler in all of Thundera. It had cost him more than an arm and a leg, but it was worth it. Carved out of the finest rose-colored diamond he could find, and almost as beautiful as the cat it had been meant for.

He picked up the box and held the ring to eye level.

_Please say yes_, Cheetara he thought.

* * *

"You have got to stop this foolishness." King Claudus spoke in a firm and final voice. He had never raised his tone but it carried just as much weight.

"I love her, father." Tygra reasoned out. "I love her more than my own life."

"This is not the time or place for flighty romances, boy." The king slammed a hand against the wooden table. "We are at the verge of war with these lizards and the last thing I need is a distracted prince and a love struck cleric!"

"Have you ever seen me distracted for the last two years father?" Tygra challenged.

"Is this how long this idiotic romance of yours has been going on?" Claudus snarled.

"Yes." The prince replied. "We know our duties and responsibilities to Thundera, father. We had agreed that duty comes first. Not once have we let our love get in the way of our obligations."

"You call your silly infatuation love?" the king did not appear impressed. "You are royalty. Clerics are servants and protectors of the crown. That those two things do not mix well in the grand scheme of things."

"I want to marry her, father." The prince spoke in a low, restrained tone.

"You are going to end this stupid dalliance at once." The king spoke just as ominously.

Tygra had never reacted this way towards his father but he had never had this problem with him before either. Back when he was romancing the ladies of the court, his father had even encouraged him, proud of his seemingly impossible conquests. Even with the princesses of other kingdoms, he had never objected so it was with much surprise that the prince was greeted with this vehement rejection of his relationship.

"I will do as I please." Tygra spoke finally as he turned his back and marched away defiantly. King Claudus firm statement stopped him in his tracks.

"I will have her taken out of the clerisy."

Tygra froze.

"No." he about faced, the fire in his eyes burning. "You wouldn't…you can't."

"I can, and I will." The king's last sentence resonated in the tiger's head. "This fling ends now, Tygra."

The tiger felt the world closing in on him.

_It's not fair._

* * *

He was supposed to see her that night, but he didn't have the heart to. The tiger prince was atop one of the towers, looking up at the starlit sky, cursing his fate and shedding tears he had considered unmanly. He had sent Urdu to tell Cheetara that he was missing their rendezvous tonight because he wasn't feeling well. Which is in part true, as he literally felt the pain in his heart, as though it had been ripped so callously from his chest by no less than the man he had called his father.

_Father._

_Why do I even continue to call him that_…Tygra thought bitterly. The lion king hadn't been a father to him for the last several years. He used to shun the rumors that the King had greatly favored Lion-O over him, and that the only reason he had not been kicked to the curb was from a sense of guilt. Now he was beginning to believe that these statements were true. While he was never mistreated, he was largely ignored anyway. His accomplishments always fell by the wayside compared to his younger brother's. For every praise he had gotten, Lion-O had gotten two or three more. For every misdeed he had been punished twice more harshly than his brother. But he had loved his father anyway, for the king certainly could have just dumped him in the servant's barracks and not allowed him the princely existence he had enjoyed.

Now this….

Tygra closed his eyes, his head was beginning to hurt.

"This isn't a good place to sleep you know." A voice emerging from one of the towers broke him from his trance. It was the snow leopard he had considered his best friend. "Believe me, I've tried."

"How is she, Urdu?" he asked.

"She's fine. Very fine indeed." He laughed when the prince managed to kick him in the shin. "You are one lucky bastard to be getting your hands on that. Ooomph." Urdu yelped as the prince kicked his leg harder.

"You are not to talk about my Cheetara like that." The prince snapped at the army captain. "We haven't gotten that far yet."

Urdu shot him a look of disbelief. "Wow, you are serious about her."

"Very." The tiger replied. "Unfortunately my father does not approve. He said we are on the verge of war and that he has no use for distracted princes and clerics."

"Funny." The leopard observed. "He didn't seem to object when your brother was hitting on her."

This caused Tygra to bolt upright. "What?"

"You forget, I was with the party that went to negotiate with the lizard kingdom." Urdu reminded him. "Lion-O wouldn't leave her alone the last few weeks. Last I heard, Jaga had her watch Lion-O's back, as part of her clerical duties but with the way he was salivating around her, I doubt she would have a hard time fulfilling that part of her job description."

Tygra disappeared before Urdu could say another word.

"That might have been a little much." Urdu spoke under his breath. From the other corner of the rooftop, a large shadow materialized.

"I have to say, I couldn't have done a better job of pissing him off." The shadow spoke. "Excellent tactic there, captain."

"I've done as you asked, Grune." The leopard replied irritably. "Will you release my brother now?"

"Only if we get the results we are hoping for." The saber tooth emerged from the dark recesses of the towers. "You sure you don't want to join us? It's better than getting killed in battle."

"Over my dead body."

"As you wish." The sabertooth laughed maniacally as he hopped off his perch, leaving the guilt-ridden leopard behind.

"Forgive me, Tygra." He said somberly as he turned away and slid down the rooftops. He started heading back towards the soldier barracks, hoping against hope that the sabertooth will keep his end of the bargain.

* * *

"Are you okay?" Cheetara asked as they sat quietly under a tree close to a clear stream just on the outskirts of Thundera. This had been their favorite meeting spot.

He forced a smile on his lips, meeting her worried gaze with his. "Just tired, babe." He replied, reassuring her with a kiss on the cheek.

"Are you thinking about the possible outbreak of war?" she asked, not completely convinced that he was merely physically spent.

"Among other things." He said. He raked her with his eyes, taking in every beautiful feature. He was suddenly reminded of how his father wanted him to break up with her. He didn't know how to go about it, nor did he want to do it in the first place. "Come away with me Cheetara…"

Her eyes widened at the proposition. "What do you mean?"

"You and me…get out of Thundera…start somewhere else. Marry me…"

"Tygra…what…I don't understand…"

He took her hands in his, looked deeply in her eyes. "My father wants me to break up with you babe." He spoke bitterly. "He doesn't want us to be together but I can't…I can't live without you."

"Tygra…"

He ran an exasperated hand across his head. "This place…this place hasn't been good to me…I mean…it has...but it hasn't been fair." The tiger sat down, rubbing his hands in repressed anger. "All my life I've been reminded constantly that I'm just a piece of dirt my father has picked up from the streets of Thundera….that I'll always be second rate to my brother. That I am not worthy of ruling or even worthy of being prince…that I will never be good enough for anything around here because I am not a lion."

"You know that's not true…"

"Now they want to take you away from me too…" his voice turned ominous "Urdu told me that my brother was hankering for you when you took that trip to the lizard kingdom. Now my father wants me to break up with you so his favored son can have what he wanted."

The shock registered immediately on Cheetara's face. "That is a lie! Your brother was not making advances towards me. He was only being friendly."

"Jaga had you watch his back too." He spoke angrily. "They really want him to have you, don't they? Make sure you're around him all the time."

"You're being ridiculous, Tygra!" she stood up and motioned to leave. "I am not going to stay around if you're going to make these insane accusations."

"Urdu would never lie to me!"

"Well neither will I!"

She took off so fast he didn't get a chance to follow her.

He stood motionless, his eyes following the path she took. The prince sank to his knees, his head filled with anger and regret.

From a distance he was being watched by a pair of sinister eyes, a diabolic smile lighting up its dark face.

_Not long now_, he thought. _Your path to the dark side has been paved, young prince._

* * *

A map lay out on the king's desk as he stood above it, surrounded by his sons and his trusted generals.

"We have word that the lizards are harvesting Thundrillium at Cloud Peak Mine." Lynx-O spoke as he pointed to a spot on the map. "One of our spies has identified at least half a dozen of them guarding the entrance."

"We must put a stop to it immediately, your highness." One other general piped up.

"Send a party before the crack of dawn." The king of Thundera ordered. "They should have their guards down by then."

"I want to go, father." Tygra spoke up. All heads turned to the tiger prince when he said so.

"This is a minor mission, son." Claudus said. "We'll have a few soldiers and lieutenants go."

"I just want to get my hands on some reptile scale…please?" He smiled as he looked at the king, to which the Thunderan monarch smiled back.

"Want to get a taste of the real world, huh?" King Claudus commented. "Very well, you may join the party in the morning."

The meeting adjourned after plans were finalized. Tygra headed off to his quarters, excited to join his first major mission.

He was slightly taken aback when he saw her leaning by his bedroom window. His room was dark, with mostly the Thunderan moonlight filtering through the windows. Her silhouette was cast against the thin curtains that blew with the gentle breeze. He hadn't seen her since their argument by the stream a few weeks ago and her presence tonight concerned him.

_I wonder if she's still mad at me._

"Hi." He greeted her tentatively.

She smiled at him warmly, which greatly relieved him. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all.

He approached her slowly. "I'm hoping this means you're not angry at me."

"I'm not angry with you Tygra." She said as she closed the distance between them. She took his hand in hers which surprised the tiger prince. She's not usually the one who took initiative when it came to physical contact. "I just wish you would trust me more."

"I do trust you." He took that hand and kissed the back of it. "My brother I don't trust."

"He's not making any moves on me." She stressed. "He knows my heart belongs to someone already."

A smirk found its way to the tiger's mouth. "Really?" he raised a brow. "And who would that lucky cat be?" he gently pulled her towards him. She slid her arms around his waist while he put his at her back. He closed the distance between their faces before she had mumbled her answer. Her lips were parted slightly and he took that opportunity to slide the tip of his tongue into her mouth. He kissed her firmly, longingly, trying to make up for those days that they haven't seen each other. He felt her kiss him back with as much fervor. It wasn't long before the prince felt his inner temperature rise as well as feel changes on his body. He pulled back knowing if he didn't stop now he was going to cross the line they had defined since the beginning of their relationship.

She opened her eyes, meeting his that had darkened with repressed longing, she licked her still moist lips, probably realizing that that action had added to the prince's dilemma.

"Why did you stop…" she asked as she reached out a hand to touch his face.

"Because in a minute I wouldn't be able to…"

"Then don't…"

"Babe…"

"I'm ready…"

"You don't have to."

"But I want to…"

With that she reached out to the lapels of his shirt and started undoing his top.

Tygra took her wrist and kissed her palm. "Are you sure?"

"Of course." She whispered. "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

"What about my father?"

"What about him? He's not my type."

Tygra chuckled as he pulled her close again. He started to kiss the side of her neck as his hand reached to the sides of her cleric uniform and started pulling it up.

"We'll just have to prove him wrong." She said as she pulled him closer.

"We will." The tiger prince said as he gently led her to his bed.

* * *

The cheetah was gone when Tygra woke up early next morning. He smiled inwardly despite his sleep deprivation. He had given her the ring he had made for her, to keep as a promise that they will be together once the threat of war was over. Right now there were other important things to do. He put a hand to the spot where she had slept the night previous. It was still warm from her being on there, some strands of her golden hair evident on the pillowcase. A spot of blood was on the sheets as well and for a minute he felt a tinge of guilt for having done what they did.

He tried. Tried to keep himself from breaking their agreement when they started, but she had been a willing participant, reminding him repeatedly that she wanted to be with him despite the king's objections. That they would never let their relationship be a hindrance to their obligations to the crown. She had offered herself to him as proof of her love and devotion to him.

Tygra dressed to get ready for his mission. He was excited. This was his first actual venture into the mines and that he was actually going to have some action made him amped up with anticipation.

He picked up his whip and happily ran down the stairs.

This was going to be a great day.

* * *

"What happened out there, Urdu?" the king demanded of his young captain. The snow leopard had been with the party that invaded Cloud Peak Mine earlier that day and had returned by himself, battered and severely injured.

"We were ambushed, your highness." The young officer reported. "Lizards…dozens of them…out of nowhere…"

"Tygra…what happened to him? Where is he?" the king demanded, shaking the already traumatized cat.

"He fought gallantly your highness….he took many of our enemies down…I didn't get to see everything…but…he may have gone down the ravine…"

The king dropped Urdu like a habit and bellowed at the guards stationed close to the throne. "Find my son…do not rest until you have him…"

The guards scurried out hurriedly as the king sank on his throne, running his hand through his mane. "I shouldn't have let him go."

Jaga spoke up from the sidelines. "The boy wishes to prove himself a man, your highness."

Claudus turned to the head cleric. "I still shouldn't have allowed it Jaga." He cursed under his breath. "I know you think I favor Lion-O, but Tygra is my son too."

"Mayhaps you should be telling that to Tygra, sire." Jaga spoke. "The way he has been acting lately it seems he does not think so."

"You think I have been unfair to him, Jaga?"

"Unfair would probably not be the word I choose." The jaguar said. "But he probably thinks that his accomplishments are not treated with the same recognition as his brother's."

The king was speechless. He wasn't sure what to tell his advisor. He certainly didn't mean to belittle his adopted son's accomplishments. Perhaps he had just gotten too focused on Lion-O, grooming him to be the future king and making sure that he was cared for and attended to. He can't blame Tygra if the latter resented him for that.

He hoped it was not too late.

* * *

_Where am I?_

When Tygra awoke he found himself chained to the wall, he winced as he felt the wounds on his body. He was in a dungeon, dark, empty and damp, with torches lighting what appears to be a vacant hallway. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. The last thing he recalled was fighting off at least a dozen lizards. They were armed with weapons he had never laid eyes upon. Their crew was ambushed and he remembered one too many of them falling to these unusual looking things that the lizards were armed with. He bit his lip as he was reminded by a gash on his temple that he had injured his head from a fall. He wondered where his comrades were.

"I see you are awake." A familiar voice resonated from the hallway. Tygra looked up to see it was the saber tooth.

"Grune!" he felt somewhat relieved. This rapidly dissipated when he found two lizards flanking the general. "What is the meaning of this? What…"

He was silenced by the appearance of a fourth figure. A mummy, encased in a red hood and wrapped in bandages. He looked frail and weak but his eyes said otherwise.

"Welcome to my domain, Prince Tygra." The mummy spoke, laughing diabolically as he did. Tygra flinched as the creature ran a bony hand across his chest, as he felt his heart being squeezed. He was able to breathe after a few seconds of suffocation from an invisible force. "The seeds of darkness have already been planted…." The mummy observed. "It just needs to be cultivated."

Tygra wasn't sure of what was going on but he pulled with all his might against the chains that bound him. He turned to the one familiar face in the room. "Grune, what's going on here?"

The sabretooth flashed him a demonic smile. "Lord Mumm-ra has just chosen you, sire."

"I don't understand."

Grune took a few steps forward and stopped a foot away from the tiger prince. "He has deemed you worthy of being granted your deepest desires…to rule your own kingdom without being limited by your bloodline." He smirked. "Be the master of your own land, not have to answer to your inferior little brother, marry whomever you wish without a king trying to step in the way."

"That's not my wish."

Grune burst out laughing. "Of course not…not what you want the world to believe of course." The general met the tiger eye to eye. "I knew your father…your real father. Not that sad excuse for a king who sits on the throne of Thundera. Your father is Lord Tiberus, once the prime minister. He was a smart, powerful leader, and when Claudus felt him a threat to overpower him and take the throne, he had him executed and made to look like he died from an accident."

"You lie!" Tygra snapped, trying unsuccessfully to pull away from the chains that held him in place. "My father would never do such a thing!"

"You can believe what you want to." Grune snarled. "You know that the only reason Claudus kept your sorry ass with him is to constantly remind him of the threat that he quashed. Thus he had kept you under his thumb, make you feel inferior to his son so that he can be sure you will never overthrow Lion-O because you think you're second best."

Tygra seethed, the anger burning brightly in his eyes.

"The truth hurts, your highness." The sabertooth resigned. "One day you will accept this and realize you are far greater than any lion that walked this third earth. Maybe then, you can make your real father proud and give him justice."

With this, the foursome left, leaving the tiger prince by his lonesome. Tears started to sting his eyes and when they were beyond earshot, he had let them flow.

Tygra didn't know how long he had stayed in that dungeon. He had lost track of the days, unable to tell the rising and setting of the sun from the lack of windows. They had moved him to a cell and for some reason had slowly given him more leeway as time passed. The food they threw his way started to get better and slowly they had let him out to get exercises. He was unsure why they were treating him well. By the time he suspected he was in his third month of captivity he was getting the royal treatment. With the exception of the chain on his leg that kept him from escaping the pyramid.

Extremely puzzling, indeed.

Grune visited him daily, sparring with him, chatting, telling him stories of olden days of Thundera. No mention of Claudus at all. Instead he heard stories of his biologic father, Prime Minister Tiberus and of his greatness.

"Your father would have made a mighty king." Grune suggested. "An even greater king than Claudus, as I am sure you would have been had it not been those lions trying to repress you." The general leaned forward and spoke in a lower tone. "How dare they try to put you down, you are far stronger, smarter and more cunning than a dozen Lion-Os. I've seen your gift when you were a child, as did Jaga and Claudus. They have seen what you are capable of, and they did their best to make you feel inferior. Are you going to let them get away with that?"

Tygra tried to close his ears to what the saber tooth fed him on a daily basis, repeating to himself that these were nothing but fabrications. But there are days that he began to wonder if any of them had even a hint of accuracy in them.

The longer he stayed at the dark pyramid, the more the lizards have been welcoming of him, much to his surprise. He knew that Grune had probably tipped them off. They treated him like one of their own as opposed to their prisoner. That the prince found this puzzling and disturbing at the same time was an understatement. He wondered what plans they had for him, as they don't seem to be intent on keeping him imprisoned, but have no plans on setting him free either. The longer he had stayed, the more he had become sympathetic to their cause.

"Thundercats have taken the best of what third earth has to offer." One of the lizards had said. "We are left with nothing but the trash you have thrown upon us."

"Your race has claimed all the fertile lands. Our race has suffered in starvation with the barren deserts you have left us with!"

Tygra did his best to turn a deaf ear to their complaints, yet these would nag at him constantly when he laid in the silence of his now furnished cell.

One time he had been wandering around the hallways of the pyramid when he heard the unmistakable sound of battle.

He peered his head into what appeared to be a training room and watched as two reptiles engaged in friendly combat using weapons he have never seen before. These were not just metal weapons, they would shoot lights from their tips, burning whatever happened to cross their paths. He stood there, fascinated with the power of these weapons. It was at this point where he felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see the sabretooth smiling at him.

"Incredible isn't it?" he asked. Grune stepped forward and took a laser gun that leaned against the wall and threw it to the tiger. "Here…try it."

Tygra stared at the pistol that Grune had thrown at him. He took aim at a target on the wall, pulled the trigger and shot at it, the beam burned a hole right through the middle of the steel bullseye.

"There's many more where that came from." The sabertooth laughed as he watched the prince's curious eyes examine the weapon in his hand.

The look in Tygra's eyes satisfied the older cat. "Show me…"

Unknown to the tiger, Mumm-Ra had been watching his every move, this latest one brought the biggest grin on his evil face. He turned to Slithe who stood steadfast by his side. "Looks like we have a new commander in the making." He laughed diabolically, the reptile joining him.

* * *

Meanwhile in Thundera, a figure was seen standing before a relatively new tomb that graced the line of royal gravestones. The figure had placed a flower on top of the epitaph as tear fell on its marble surface.

The flower was a day astrid.

The figure pulled the hood that covered her tear-stained face.

She still couldn't believe it.

_It can't be._

_He can't be dead._

But it had been six months, and despite the extensive search that the king's men had done on the pass where he was last seen, there was no trace of the prince to be found, other than smatterings of what they though may be his blood among some rocks. King Claudus had thrown in the towel and had acknowledged that his older son had perished in the hands of lizards. A royal funeral had been held a month after he had disappeared. It has been many moons since then, but she had not completely accepted his death.

Cheetara wiped the tears with the back of her hand. She had tried not to show any emotions during the ceremony where they had symbolically laid the prince to rest. She would let her guard down when she was by herself, sequestered in her quarters where the thick walls hid her sobs. Her pain was indefinable. She had held on to the ring he had given her when she had seen him last, as it was her last memory of her first love. She would relive the one night they had spent together, when she had given him the gift of herself many times over in the course of the evening. His touch, his kiss, his words of endearment in her ear….she cherished all of that, as it was all she had left of him. A memory.

She replaced the hood again as she stepped away from the tombstone. Walking away, she did not look back.

"Are you okay?"

Cheetara looked up to see the lion prince before her. The concern in his eyes genuine, the tone of his voice was comforting.

He had been a good shoulder to cry on when she first started grieving. During the time that she watched over him under Jaga's orders, they had become friends. She had at one time relayed to him her relationship with his brother, to which he didn't seem surprised. He had been given her solace as they both sorrowed over the tiger's death.

"I guess it still hasn't completely hit me that he's gone." She tried to ward off the shaking in her voice.

"It's okay Cheetara." Lion-O offered his arms which she accepted. He wrapped her in his embrace, his hand rubbing her back as she sobbed. "We will all miss him."

Not too far away, stood the king, observing as his younger son comfort the cleric. He remembered well how he vehemently objected to his demised son's romance with her. Now that Tygra was dead he had felt a pang of regret. He felt as though he had taken from his adopted son the one thing he could have had that would make him happy.

He wished he could take it all back.

But wishing was all he could do, for no miracle on this third earth could bring him back to life. Not a thing.

_Forgive me, Tygra,_ King Claudus bent his head down, as a tear uncharacteristically ran down his cheek.

* * *

Back in Mumm-Ra's pyramid, Tygra stood overlooking the vast desert, deep in thought. Funny how he didn't feel like a prisoner here anymore, save for the magical cuff on his ankle that prevented him from escaping. He had attempted multiple times in the past to get away, but the spell cast upon it was so powerful he nearly died trying. At some point he had given up and resigned his fate.

In some weird, twisted way, this pyramid had become home.

The lizards had treated him well, and whether Grune or Mumm-Ra had anything to do with it was anyone's guess. But he received here what he didn't always get back at Thundera.

Respect.

Not that he had never gotten that back in the thundercat kingdom. He did, although now that he truly thought about it he believed he didn't get as much as he deserved.

He was always treated number 2, even if deep in his heart he thought he deserved to be number 1.

Neither Mumm-Ra nor Grune or even Slithe questioned him when he would intervene in the lizard's training. They had let him do what he wanted, without question, without doubt. He liked that. He liked that very much.

Yet from time to time he would wonder what was happening back in Thundera. For he did miss his home, especially Cheetara.

He could still recall that night they had spent together before he was captured. It was the one thing that kept him going in his first few months of captivity.

He wished he could go back and take her with him, maybe start fresh somewhere. Mumm-Ra had promised him his own empire, and while he was still a little cynical trusting the mummy, the thought of ruling his own kingdom put a smile on his lips.

King Tygra? No….Emperor Tygra.

Yup, it still sounded right to his ears.

Tygra marched back into the pyramid, heading for the visionary body of water that sat in the middle of Mumm-Ra's throne room. It was the one way he could look back at Thundera and while at first Mumm-Ra never allowed him to use it, the last few days or so, for some weird reason the mummy had given him free access to it at all times.

He sure has strange way about him and Tygra would never understand it. He was thrilled of course when he was first given permission, but until now he had not the courage to try it.

"Show me Cheetara." He spoke aloud, commanding the waters. The fluid mirror swirled, lighting up the otherwise dark, desolate throne room. Tygra was excited. He had not seen her in all this time other than in his visions and memories. That he could actually see her was a treat he was anticipating with much enthusiasm.

But…

What was this?

The vision before him was something he didn't expect.

Nor liked.

Cheetara.

Lion-O.

His arms were around her.

His hands on her back, caressing her hair.

And his father….in the background, watching them.

Had he not known that the water mirror can show no lies, he would've thought this was all being done in deceit.

_No._

_How could she?_

He hasn't been gone a year and she had already replaced him with his brother.

Mayhaps because he could do things for her that he cannot?

Make her Queen of Thundera.

His father…without signs of objection, observed them from a short distance.

So _**he**_ was not allowed to have her, and yet the King had not shown an ounce of trepidation when his brother wanted the same thing?

_How could he…_

_How could they…_

_He wasn't even dead…_

_No._

_This can't be._

The one time he had the chance to see the last person who mattered and he witnesses her in his brother's arms?

No.

It's not fair.

He could not stand it. With a command he banished the despicable vision from his sight.

Tygra was seething.

His heart hurt, literally.

How dare they….

How dare they do this to me.

Has he truly been expendable? A minor inconvenience his father put up with?

No wait…King Claudus was not his father. Lord Tiberus was. Claudus was the one who kept him under his thumb and made him feel inferior to his younger brother. And there were nary a day that he was not reminded of it.

They can't get rid of him that easy.

Hell no.

He was going to make sure they know it.

Tygra is not going to go down as the prince who was second place, not if he can help it.

Unbeknownst to the tiger, his captors were watching him in the background.

Grune stepped towards the prince. He placed an arm around the younger cat's shoulders.

"Mumm-Ra thinks it's about time to set you free, your highness." He had said. This caused Tygra to rapidly turn his head towards the older cat. Was he hearing things?

Before he could utter another word, the clasp on his ankle opened and disintegrated before his very eyes. He picked up his leg and looked at the spot where it had sat for months on end. He rubbed against that area of his fur where it was rather sore from being bound so long. He took a few tentative steps from the border where it usually set off a shockwave through him when he tried to escape.

No shocks.

He turned around. Mumm-Ra and Grune stood a few feet away. The prince met their content gazes with his trademark smirk.

Mumm-Ra reached out and from thin air produced a black metal armored suit with the twisted snake logo in the middle.

A sinister smile appeared on the mummy's mouth.

Tygra walked towards him and took the uniform in his hands.

"Welcome to my invincible army, Commander Tygra."

* * *

_Author Notes:_

_Despicable enough for you?_

_As I've previously mentioned, this is not the Thundera, Tygra or Lion-O you know. This is an alternative universe….a prelude to In His Shoes. If you haven't read it, please do. It will explain things to a certain degree. Should you not be able to handle it, let me know as I can show you a not-so-graphic version of the story._

_Comments, reviews and requests most welcome. Flames, not so much, but go ahead if you wish. _

_Lion-O: How come you get to be so badass?_

_Tygra: Because I already am._

_Lion-O: Will (Friedle)! Do something about this!_

_Will Friedle: What are you looking at me for? I'm not the one writing this crap._

_Tygra: I don't know what you're complaining about. You already get the sword, the crown, the girl, father's approval in this fic. If anyone should be whining, it should be me. Look what I got…Mumm-Ra, Slithe, Grune…_

_Grune: I can't be that bad._

_Tygra: Well you're not a hot, blonde cheetah now are you?_

_Mumm-Ra: That can be arranged._

_Tygra: Ummm…no thank you._

_Part 2 coming up…..soon…hopefully not next month…lol. _

_4/8/2012_


	2. Regret

Redemption

Chapter 2

Regret

By Fuuko no Miko

4/14/2012

_Author notes:_

_Apologies for the delay, but real life gets in the way of the world where we wished we sometimes existed._

_After watching the heart-wrenching episode 17…which I think should have been 2 episodes…it inspired me to kickstart this fic more._

_Thank you to all who have read and reviewed chapter 1. That got a little too long…this might be one too. But as long as you are enjoying, it is all that matters._

_This is an AU where the Tygra we know is non-existent. Nor is Lion-O. A prequel to In His Shoes and this chapter will contain excerpts from there, hopefully to guide those who can't read the adult material._

_Here goes…._

* * *

A dark, hooded figure stood over the precipice, his eyes sweeping the vision below him. An army, bigger than anything he had ever seen in his life armed with the most advanced, most dangerous weapons his eyes have ever laid witness to. Laser guns, shields forged from metals he had never even heard of, and vehicles that defy the law of physics with their ability to glide through the air despite their weight.

It was a beautiful sight.

"You think they're ready, Commander?" a lizard who stood by him asked.

"We've been preparing them for almost a year." The hooded figure replied. "They better be damn ready….they know who they are answerable to."

And he was not referring to Mumm-Ra., the lizard thought. The cold demeanor sent an icy tingle through his spine. Had he not known the commander before he first came upon the pyramid he would never have thought he used to be a Thunderan prince. The young royal they had captured in Cloud Peak Mine and the imposing figure whom stood before him now seemed like two opposite ends of a pole. What a difference 24 months have done to him.

Of course it wasn't without help. General Grune had made sure he was well aware of the legacy his biologic father left behind and how the king of Thundera tried to repress him. How much of that was true and how much of it was fabrication was up for discussion. He was also fueled by visions of the woman he loved shacking up with his younger brother whom he despised without a second thought. The lizard wondered if that was some trick Mumm-Ra had used to sway him to the dark side. The young commander was slowly introduced into the ranks, and fear of Mumm-Ra made sure that no one was going to second guess him. The fact that Grune was a thundercat made the transition easy for the reptiles to follow Commander Tygra's orders. That and the fact that the commander's bark was far less vicious than his bite, for the longer he stayed at the pyramid, the darker and more vicious he had become. The once reluctant prisoner had morphed into a strict officer who didn't bat an eyelash when it came to disciplining his troops. He had begun to lead raids, initially starting from small villages and later on bigger towns. He reminded the lizard of Grune when he first joined their ranks. He had a feeling, however, that the tiger was going to be far worse than his predecessor. He didn't just want to be a king or a conqueror, he seemed hell bent on destroying those who had pissed him off. He had been cold and callous during their invasions of the smaller villages, and after setting an example or two of what happened to those who stood up against him, no one dared to.

That he had three lieutenants who were no better than he was, added fear to anyone who would cross him. Three outcasts, a white wolf, a black cat and a scarred dog…all misfits from their respective tribes who had found their home under the tiger prince's wing. They had all shared a mutual hatred of their kind and had bonded with that despise. All of them seemed to have the same streak of viciousness and lack of remorse. This had made the lizard army fear them and regard them the same as they would Grune, Slythe and Mumm-Ra.

"I hear we're crashing a wedding?" Grune spoke, breaking the tiger and the lizard out of their personal reverie. A snarl came from the tiger's lips in response to it.

"The timing could not be any more perfect." The tiger took down the hood down, a sneer appearing on his mouth. He pulled out a tattered scroll that appeared to have been a wedding invitation. He had confiscated it from a small kingdom they had invaded but a few weeks ago. It was still smudged with the monarch's blood. "Hear ye, hear ye." He announced in his most sarcastic tone. "You are cordially invited to the union of Prince Lion-O and his beloved Lady Cheetara, to be held at sunset on the eve of the third moon. Please be dressed accordingly."

"Ooooh I love weddings!" a white wolf spoke up, interrupting the two cats. "Especially ones I'm not invited to."

"Can we all come?" a second voice piped in, it was the black cat, another of Tygra's sidekicks_.__ "I promise to wear my Sunday best...not a smudge of blood on it!"_

"I haven't had any good food in a while." The scarred Rottweiler spoke up as well. "I'm sure the bride and groom would be all nice and tasty."

"Be quiet, you fools." Grune hushed the three he had dubbed the trio from hell. "This would be Commander Tygra's call on how he would like to proceed."

"We will all be invited." Tygra winked, much to the squeal and delight of his three sidekicks. "And you three may eat, maim and destroy as you please….but…the lovely betrothed couple…" he paused to crush the invitation in his hand. "…is all mine."

The tiger had tuned down the ear-piercing merrymaking his psychopathic lieutenants were making. His focus had turned solely on the crumpled paper in his hand.

_How dare they_, he thought.

That his one true love had found solace in his brother's arms was one thing.

That they would be wedded, have children and rule all of Thundera was another.

_How could she have replaced me so soon?"_

_Did she not love me as much as I did her?_

When he had ripped that invitation from the hands of the bleeding king who had held it, he had a sense of doom seeing the Thuderan royal seal on it. When he had read what it said, he felt a pain more excruciating than a sword repeatedly thrust and twisted into his heart.

Cheetara, his Cheetara, was marrying her brother.

And his father…no, not his father, King Claudus approved of it.

Not only did the lion monarch think him not fit enough to be king, he didn't think of him fit to wed Jaga's best cleric. He thinks his blood son deserved all of it and he did not.

There will be hell to pay.

He was going to make sure of it.

"How is the invasion plan going, General?" Mumm-Ra spoke to the sabertooth as he watched in the background, observing Tygra as he stood still in silent fury. "I can feel Commander Tygra's rage all the way up my spine." He laughed.

"An understatement, if I do say so." Grune chuckled, noting the same of the tiger. "I feel we will be more than successful. The commander will make sure of it."

* * *

Cheetara smoothed the skirt of her gown for the infinite time. Her hands were visibly trembling.

"Nervous, my lady?" one of the handmaidens who was assisting her in getting dressed noted.

"Getting cold feet is but normal when one is to wed." another lady in waiting piped up. "Especially when you are getting married to a future king." She winked at Cheetara who laughed nervously in response.

"As long as it doesn't make you run away from the altar." Another handmaiden spoke as she weaved the pearls in Cheetara's golden locks and attached her paper thin veil to it. "After all, I'm sure Prince Lion-O will be eagerly awaiting the honeymoon."

All three handmaidens laughed raunchily at the last suggestion, and though Cheetara did so with them, she couldn't help this nagging feeling in her chest.

As though something was going to go wrong today.

Terribly, horribly wrong.

She had felt that way the last few days and had come to Jaga for advice. He had reassured her that it was due to her change in status after all has been said and done.

"The responsibilities of a future queen are not to be taken lightly." He said. "You bear the weight of the crown as much as your husband will. You shall be together in this endeavor until the end of your days. That you feel uneasy with that burden is understandable."

She had chalked it all up to that.

Still….

"My lady, your prince awaits."

The voice by the doorway was that of Nikolia, Lion-O's personal cleric and confidante, a young snow leopard who rose rapidly in the cleric ranks due to his skills and cunning. He had taken over the position Cheetara had left when she had become engaged to the prince of Thundera. Lion-O was good friends with him and trusted him with his very life.

Cheetara smiled genuinely at him. She nodded to the ladies in waiting and they proceeded to help her with the delicate train that cascaded at the back of her wedding gown. She put her arm on the cleric's and allowed him to lead her to the temple where the ceremony was to take place.

Lion-O fidgeted.

His father had been glowering at him from across the aisle.

His best man, Nikolia, had taken to his side after escorting his bride from the palace to the temple. He was a little envious that the cleric had a glimpse of his bride to be before he did, and he wouldn't say a word on how she looked no matter how much he had badgered him.

"Your highness, you're not supposed to see the bride before the wedding. It's bad luck supposedly." Nikolia had reminded the lion after he asked for the infinite time.

"But I'm not actually seeing her, I just wanted to know how she looked."

"Give it a minute or two, the wedding march is starting."

He couldn't wait until the whole wedding party had cleared. Then his eyes feasted on the vision he longed to see the most.

His bride.

And a vision she was indeed. Dressed in the finest fabrics the best seamstresses of Thundera could find, she looked like a goddess that descended from the heavens. Her gown was a body-contouring ivory gown with red and gold embellishments that glimmered under the sunlight that filtered through the windows. A sheer train embroidered with flowers extended ten feet from her waist. A modest veil covered her face and a bouquet of freshly picked astrids were in her hand.

She was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes upon. When Jaga handed Lion-O his bride, he felt as though his breath had been taken away.

"I love you." He murmured when she placed his hand in his.

"I love you too." Cheetara smiled under her veil. She felt her pulse racing on her throat. Her groom was dressed in his regal best, his princely attire in the colors of the Thunderan flag and decorated with military honors.

Nikolia nodded to his senior cleric when she glanced at him. His head was covered in the cat's head and all she saw were his eyes but she could tell he was smiling warmly at her, something the laconic young cleric rarely did.

Something doesn't feel quite right, Nikolia thought. While the security measures were personally checked by him for this wedding, and he made sure everything would be perfect for the couple, something felt amiss. He just couldn't put a finger on it. Katerina, his wife, had lectured him many times over that everything was going to be fine and that for once he should just relax and enjoy the festivities. It was hard to relax, with his job as personal protector to Prince Lion-O, but for her sake and his sanity, he was certainly going to attempt to do so.

"Oh, oh, do we get to interrupt when they ask if anyone wants to object to this wedding?" Ylva, the white wolf excitedly rubbed her hands as Slythe looked through his scope.

"Sit still you mangy mutt." The reptile barked, 'You're shaking the tank."

"But I love weddings!"

"I prefer the reception better." The scarred dog, Askal, muttered through a yawn. "Wedding ceremonies are sooooo bloody boring. Why can't they just do the ceremony in the middle of dinner? It's less tedious and less expensive."

"Will you all just shut up? They will hear us." Bastet the black cat silenced them as she saw Snarf approach the crystal encasement they were in. All four of them sat still, making sure the little creature didn't notice their movements. It wasn't until the cat walked away that they took another breath.

Tygra on the other hand, was sitting so unusually still he could have been mistaken for a statue as opposed to a living, breathing object. He took a seat amongst the hundreds of guests in the temple, on the groom's side of course. It was the best way he could get a glimpse of the bride. Grune had opposed to him coming to the wedding with him, but he had insisted. One part of him regretted that decision as he watched her looking more radiant than the Thunderan sun, his brother across her, beaming like he had won the biggest prize in a contest.

He seethed inwardly. He felt that pain sear through his chest once and again, like a raw knife ripping through his insides repeatedly.

_She's supposed to be marrying me_, he all but screamed.

He had covered himself in black dye, pretending to be a panther with facial injuries so severe they would visually scar whoever dared look at them. That he had come as General Grune's guest also deferred him from being questioned, although he could swear Nikolia, Lion-O's annoying sidekick had given him more than a once over when they went into the temple. Luckily the cleric had been called away to fetch the bride before he could interrogate him.

"Are you alright?" Grune whispered to him. "I told you, you needn't come."

The tiger managed a smirk under his facial cover. "I'm fine." He responded with a sneer. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"You are one masochistic little prick, you know that?" the sabertooth laughed under his breath.

"You don't even know the half of it."

"I now pronounce you husband and wife." Jaga announced, eliciting a thunderous applause from the hundreds of spectators. Lion-O took this as a cue to lift the bridal veil and kiss his radiant bride on her lips. Cheetara welcomed this and kissed him back with just as much fervor. It took all of the tiger's self control not to pounce on the altar and rip her away from his so-called brother.

_I hate you. _

_I hate all of you._

_You shall all feel my wrath._

"Come on. " Grune elbowed him. "The food at the reception I'm sure is going to be outstanding." The older cat whispered to him as they were ushered out of the temple. "Make sure you let me fill my belly before you signal anything."

"Glutton." Tygra managed to chuckle under his breath. He could not resist but cast a longing glance at the bride who was stepping down the aisle assisted by her new husband. That word seemed to echo in his head as he took a little too long staring at her, and she looked up to meet his gaze from all but twenty feet away.

Cheetara froze.

_Is that…_

But the figure under the black cloak that she had caught eyeing her had rapidly been dragged away by Grune before she could take but a few seconds to look at him.

The swagger was almost unmistakable.

But then again….perhaps her nervous mind had been playing nasty tricks on her?

"Everything okay?" her husband had whispered in her ear. His reassuring voice seemed to calm her nerves.

"Yes, of course." She smiled tentatively at him. "I just thought I saw someone familiar."

"They should all be familiar." He laughed. "I don't remember inviting strangers to the wedding."

"Right."

That incident was put behind as she chose to focus on the task at hand.

They had a reception to go to.

"Slow down." Grune snapped at Tygra as he gulped his third glass of Thundera's finest wine in less than fifteen minutes. "I can't have you slobbering drunk."

"You forget I have a liver of steel." The tiger chuckled as this statement was an undisputed fact. He had learned that alcohol to some degree helped numb the pain he suffered on a daily basis during his months of captivity, and just as he weaned himself off of it when he got used to living in the pyramid, he found himself indulging in it again when he read that invitation.

Tygra paused. He was no out of control drunk. He knew his limits and he could not afford to be an emotional wreck right now. His men deserved better than that.

He wasn't going to let himself down, nor was he going to do Lord Mumm-Ra a disservice.

The ceremonies passed like a blur before Tygra's eyes. He had tuned out everyone else and focused on the object of his affection.

It's funny how he still carried a torch for her despite not seeing her for two years. His feelings for her were just as potent as they were the first day he laid eyes on her…except now it was tainted by his anger and resentment. That which had stemmed from her treachery, replacing him with his brother no sooner had the blood dried from his wounds. Had he meant nothing to her at all? Were her words of affection back then nothing but fleeting expressions whispered in the heat of the moment? He could still recall their first night together when she had given her the gift of herself, proclaiming her undying love and devotion to him. Had she just been taking pity on him, seeing how hopelessly in love he was with her?

_Gods I feel pathetic_, he thought to himself. With that he took another swig of the blood colored wine before him, wiping his mouth afterwards. Part of the dye had come off of the lower half of his face and he quickly pulled the cover he had on to conceal it.

"Where is Nikolia?" King Claudus murmured as the toast by the best man was supposed to take place. The young cleric had seemed to have disappeared. Lion-O was informed briefly by the young cleric that he had something to look into, and that was half an hour ago.

"Well, seeing that the best man is nowhere to give us a toast, how about we get one from someone who knows just as much about our groom?" The king announced as he turned to Grune who was seated not too distantly. The general was about to stand up when Tygra blocked him with his arm and stood himself.

"Allow me."

Cheetara's eyes widened as that voice made its way to her ears.

The figure in the black cloak beside Grune started marching towards the newlyweds. Guards rapidly surrounded the table, their spears aimed towards the approaching cat. King Claudus put his hand on his sword, ready to strike when the hooded figure pulled off the cloak.

That voice.

That unmistakable stride.

Most importantly, that unique scent.

Cheetara's mouth fell open.

Could it be?

"Tygra."

Lion-O was the first to speak when the tiger started wiping the dye off his face, revealing the stripes on them. The whole ballroom fell into a deathly silence.

"You're alive." King Claudus exclaimed, breaking the quiet and approaching his adopted son without a moment's hesitation. He took a few quick steps and embraced the tiger. "You're alive…."

Tygra would have welcomed this show of affection about a year ago, but things have certainly changed in his mind, his heart and his soul. He returned it with a weak, barely perceptible hug as his eyes wandered to the newlyweds, savoring the shocked expression on their faces, trying not to laugh out loud at their surprise and possible horror.

"Congratulations, to my brother and my new sister in law." He spoke as he released himself from Claudus' arms. He picked up a wine glass and filled it with his favored liquid and held out a toast. The guards had withdrawn their stance when they realized it was Prince Tygra and gave him room to stand in tangent to the newly married couple. Lion-O's surprised look was replaced with the happy smile he had on before his brother made his entrance. His bride, however, could barely conceal her continued aghast expression.

"I apologize for my ill-timed return." The tiger spoke as he raised his glass to the crowd. "But my resurrection should not be the focus of our attention today." He paused before tilting his head as a salute to both Lion-O and Cheetara. "We have a wedding to celebrate." He turned towards both of them before speaking again. "I've known Lion-O for well, all my life, save for the last two years of my absence….and Cheetara a little less than that. They are both kind, respectable and easy on the eyes. That they make a perfect match, is no surprise to all of us." His eye glinted at the concealed sarcasm under his voice. "To you brother, and my new sister, a toast to long life, prosperity, happiness and plenty of heirs to the Thunderan throne…"

With that a resonating tinkling of glasses cheered the newlyweds. The merry crowd seemed to have rebounded from his sudden appearance and the music starting playing once again. Tygra gulped what would be his fifth glass of the evening and approached his brother, giving him a tight hug as he murmured a congratulatory remark in his ear.

"Best wishes, brother." He tried not to snarl in the lion's ear after giving him an embrace that may have been too hard, but the lion was too jovial to notice.

"Thank you brother!" the lion replied. He sounded somewhat relieved.

He then turned to the cheetah. Her expression was now replaced with a smile on her lips but her eyes betrayed her by the perplexed expression in them. He managed to plant but a light kiss on her cheek. "Much happiness to you, Cheetara."

She could barely mouth out her reply to him. "Thank you Tygra."

Tygra didn't even allow her to finish that sentence when he turned on his heel towards the merrymaking crowd.

He sat down next to Grune who also had a somewhat shocked expression on his face.

"You handled that better than I thought." The saber toothed general remarked as he stuffed another piece of mutton in his mouth.

"The alcohol helps." Tygra mumbled under his breath as he poured himself another drink. Realizing the alcohol had begun to burn in his belly, he shoved a piece of roasted lamb after it. "They sure spared no expense with the food." He complimented as he delved into his plate with enthusiasm. "Too bad it's all going to waste."

"Tygra, Grune." King Claudus voice boomed over them, making the two cats turn their heads. The king of Thundera took a seat across them, his eyes switching from one to the other. He turned to the tiger first, putting a large hand over his shoulder. "My son, you don't know how happy I am to see you. And on the day of your brother's wedding! It's like the Gods have smiled twice on me today!"

If you only knew, Tygra thought, smiling to himself. "I apologize for my lousy timing, father." He admits, saying the last word was something he had forced himself to do. "Had I known today was their wedding, I would have waited another day or two to make my appearance. I certainly didn't want to upstage them."

"I very much doubt that." Grune laughed. "Unless you look more beautiful than the bride…which you don't…you would never upstage anyone."

The king then turned to the general. "Grune, how long have you known about my son's reappearance?"

Grune was not expecting that question.

"He didn't." Tygra came to the rescue of the sabertooth immediately. "Grune was as surprised as everyone else. I will tell you about my misadventures later…father." The tiger then motioned to pour the king a drink. "Today is Lion-O and Cheetara's day, let's celebrate that for now."

The Thunderan king seemed to accept that explanation and had a toast with the two before having to leave to attend to the other guests.

"After the reception, my son." He had said before he took leave. "We have so much to talk about."

Tygra ignored the eyes burning holes behind his back. He knew they were coming from every other guest who knew of his disappearance, but he knew that the most questioning glance thrown towards his direction came from one particular person.

Cheetara.

And as tempted as he was to rush over to the main banquet table, take her in his arms and beg for her to take him back, he used all his willpower not to.

After all, she was officially Lion-O's wife now.

That thought stabbed at him again, and in a moment of rage he cracked the wineglass he held in his hand, shattering it into a dozen pieces. One of them scratched his palm and made it bleed.

"Careful with those hands." Grune barked at him as he handed him one of the table napkins. "You're going to need them."

"Yes Mother." Tygra replied sarcastically. He glanced at the main door hallway and saw a lingering black cat clothed in a golden cloak. Her slanted green eyes met his and she raised her claws in a mock salute.

"Ladies and gentlemen." He announced, raising his arms in welcome, "I present to you all, my gift to our beautiful newly wedded couple."

The black cat struck her staff at the banquet doors twice. An ear shattering blast blew a massive hole through the middle of the door, eliciting screams of panic and fear. A flying vessel made its way through the gap and a few dozen lizards jumped out of the vehicle. All hell broke lose as panicking guests tripped and attempted to make their way out as lizards started firing their laser guns at whoever or whatever came their way. The guards took a while to recuperate from the sudden onslaught and started counterattacking.

Grune had rapidly moved towards the main table where the bride and groom were seated. "Your highness, come with me." He beckoned to Lion-O who had ducked under the table. The lion looked around for his wife and saw that she was gone.

King Claudus, all taken aback by the whole scenario drew out the sword of Omens and quickly engaged in combat, his eyes searching the chaos for his sons.

The guests that have taken to the outside of the banquet hall were greeted by an even bigger surprise. A massive lizard army had come out of the mountainous crystal that Grune had brought in the day before, and they were heavily armed. Widespread panic ensued with guests and local townsfolk all making a run for it in random directions.

From the chaos and the melee, a young cleric came forth.

He had a nagging feeling that something was off when he greeted General Grune earlier and his mysterious cloaked guest. There had been rumors of lizard armies being led by a cat invading neighboring kingdoms, but the sources were never verified and apparently have strangely vanished once a word or two leaked out. That was why he had excused himself from the festivities and investigated.

Nikolia knew something was wrong…but he didn't expect…this. Devastation and chaos surrounded him as his mount carried him through the burning city. Nikolia had to steel his heart. He could not go out to the rescue of individuals. There was no time. But if he could protect the royal family, and re-organize the counter attack, more people will be saved than lost.

He had to reach Jaga immediately.

Nikolia rode on, his mouth set. But the cries for help still rang in his ears. _"How can we possibly get out of this?"_

The cleric would be the first to admit: Prince Lion-O was right. Technology did in fact exist, and now it was destroying their city! So did that mean everything they saw as magic was just lost and forgotten technology? Did that mean Jaga's staff, and his sabers, were technology as well? If that was so, maybe they had a chance!

"Run! Run!" Voices were raised against the sound of the heavy bombardments. There were screams and sobs, desperate please for help, for means of getting out of the beleaguered city, as the lizard metal giants smashed through the last wall.

"Please Gods they do not breach the palace before our own forces have had a chance to get them out!" Nikolia thought, and thought he could hear the explosion of one of the lizard giants smashing through the city.

The cleric reached the gateway of the palace when a mighty explosion threw the palace's massive wooden gates aside, hurling the defenders into the courtyards, below where Nikolia stood on the battlements, backwards and killing many.

As the smoke and dust cleared, Nikolia discerned a group of people standing in the gateway. It wasn't until all was settled when he was greeted with an ominous sight.

A young rottweiler dressed in black, and a black mask partially covered his vicious face. An insignia of twisted serpents were on his armor. Nikolia recognized the scars running across the mutt's face. He shuddered inwardly. Flanking the dog in black were two others, a beautiful black cat with a cruel smile and a white wolf, also dressed in black, stood apart and a little to the side. She held a bloodstained falchion in her right hand. Her other hand held a chain that was attached to a heavy collar around his wife Katerina's neck. Bound and gagged and stripped of her armor, her eyes flashed unquenchable rage and defiance.

There was no mistake whom he was confronting. The cleric was aware of the world outside Thundera much more than his fellow protectors of the crown. It came with the territory of being Prince Lion-O's personal bodyguard.

The more naïve of the Thunderan troupes thought that they were mere figments of the other kingdom's imagination. The rumors of the bloodthirsty three…now appear to ring true.

Nikolia's heart stopped - he couldn't believe that just this morning he was holding his beloved, and now she had been captured by these vile commanders. How could this be happening? His eyes met hers for an instant across the courtyard, sending her a promise that she would not be a prisoner for long.

With no time to figure out all that was unfolding around him, Nikolia's cleric's instinct took control. He must act now - or lose everything. He strode forward, closed his eyes, and stepped off the battlements, his ragged cape flowing out behind him it was a leap of faith to the courtyard below. With practiced grace he landed on his feet, and he stood tall to confront his enemies, cold determination etched on his face.

The armored staged up, struggling with a wounded leg, and stood by Nikolia. "Who are these beasts?" he breathed.

"Oh," said the rottweiler. "We haven't introduced ourselves. How remiss of us. But of course we know you….the commander warned us about the prince lion's little lapdog…or should I say…lapcat?" he laughed derisively. "Such a pleasure! At last we shall be able to remove the biggest thorn in our side."

"Step back Askal!"

One eyebrow went up and the dark eyes blazed in the fearsome, flawed face. "Oh - how flattered I am that you have guessed my name correctly. But let me present my fellow warriors Lieutenant Bastet, General Slithe; and last but not least, my indispensable right-hand wolf, Ylva. What would I do without my friends?"

As Askal spoke, his troops moved like ghosts into the palace. Nikolia was powerless to stop them as his own garrison - hopelessly outnumbered - were swiftly overcome and disarmed.

"But I'm a good soldier, and part of the fun is choosing efficient support," Askal continued. "I must admit I didn't think you'd be quite the pushover."

Nikolia said evently. "We will wipe you and your kind from the face of the earth."

"Not today you won't," said Askal, smiling.

As the cleric leapt forward, Bastet, having her own laser rifle, shot him in the shoulder. Nikolia staggered back, choking…holding his injured arm as it bled profusely.

"I am a protector of the crown of Thundera." The wounded cleric transferred his staff to his good arm and defiantly moved forward. "I lived as such, and will die as such."

Apart from the crackle of the flames and the isolated moans from the wounded and dying, things had gone ominously quiet.

* * *

It had all been a blur.

The last thing Cheetara remembered was Tygra getting up on the podium, announcing his "present" to the bride and groom followed by a loud explosion. Screams. Lion-O's voice telling her to get down. She remembered something striking her forehead and everything had been black after that.

When the cheetah opened her eyes, she saw the ceiling of what she recognized was Tygra's old bedroom. It was not too long ago when she remembered seeing this very sight, under very different circumstances. She blinked a few times, and when she lifted her hand to rub a wet spot on her forehead, she noticed her hand was bound in shackles.

What on earth….

"Remind you of something?"

The familiar voice was there. But the hostility was not something she had been familiar with.

"Tygra…" she let out a croak as she sat up. She was in his bed, her wedding gown torn in certain spots and soiled by debris and what appeared to be droplets of blood.

He turned around. His face still contained smudges of coal he had rubbed on them to disguise his appearance. He still had that hood that concealed his appearance at her wedding, but beneath it she could tell he wore a black armor with a red logo in the middle. It was the insignia of two coiled snakes. Once she had been able to focus she met his challenging gaze. In his golden eyes she could tell a maelstrom of emotions brew in them. Tygra had never been a difficult person to read. In his eyes brewed a mixture of despair, anxiety but most of all, rage.

"I'm sorry it had to be the day of your….wedding." He spoke the last word quite firmly. "I should have let you have your honeymoon first."

"Tygra!" she detected the sarcasm in his sentence. Her own eyes filled with anger. "What have you done?"

He smirked, an all too familiar one to her, but this one seemed more tinged with malice, one that she had never seen. "Claiming what should have been mine." His eyes raked her up and down. "Everything that supposed brother of mine took from me…which I rightfully deserve more than he ever will."

Her eyes widened in horror.

This was not the Tygra she knew.

Not the prince she had given her heart to a few years ago.

Her vision was drawn to the melee occurring outside his bedroom window. She stood up and looked out the window, the shock registering on her features as the chaos unfolded before her. She could not bear to look at it for more than a minute and closed her eyes, turning a deaf ear to the cries for help and the sounds of destruction. When she looked at the tiger her eyes were brimming with tears.

"How could you?" were the first words out of her mouth. "How could you do this to your people?"

His brows furrowed, his face contorted in fury, and for the first time since she had known him, she did not recognize the cat before her. He took a few quick strides before her, stopping but a mere foot before her. His raging eyes met hers. His voice was subdued but it was filled with an emotion she knew was on the verge of explosion. "You might mean to say how could they do this to me?" he seethed. "How could they abandon me? Leave me in the hands of traitors and enemies? Leave me to suffer in that blasted pyramid? Treat me like I have never existed? How could they?"

"They searched for you!" she raised her voice at him. "The king was relentless in looking for you for months on end!"

He laughed derisively. "Sure he did." His voice then turned bitter. "I'm sure he was happy to get his adopted child out of the way so his son can have everything." He paused before adding. "Including you…."

"Tygra!"

"You're all I had!" he screamed, his eyes now filling with tears. "I could not have the sword of Omens…not the Kingdom…nothing! I had you! And you were all that mattered to me….forget everything else…and they took you too!"

Cheetara was rendered with silence.

"I was never good enough for them. Never! No matter how hard I tried. No matter what I did, what I sacrificed, what I gave up! I was NEVER going to be good enough for anything! Now you prove that I'm not good enough even for you!"

"You know that's not true!"

"Really?" he derided. "Then how could you leave me too, Cheetara?"

"I thought you were dead!"

"And that gives you reason to marry my brother?"

"Did you think for a second that I forgot you just like that?" it was her turn to lash out. "You don't know what I went through when I thought you had died. I just about died too!"

"You replaced me like a spare blade on a sword!"

"If you think it had been easy to get over you than you're underestimating your own worth." She spoke firmly. "I loved you with all I had, Tygra. It destroyed me when I had thought you had perished."

And for a few minutes not a sound was heard in that room.

The background of the chaos outside the predominating sound that reigned by them. Tygra turned his back to her, moving towards the window, his hands gripping the ledge so hard that his knuckles turned white.

"Say the word…Cheetara…" he spoke but above a whisper that she barely heard it. His head lowered, he turned to her, the anger seemingly taking a back seat to a look that pleaded. "Say you still love me…and come with me…I'll pull out all the troops from Thundera…I'll make them stop this destruction…please…just say it….they fear me…they will listen to me…"

Her jaw dropped. "Is this what this is all about?" she spoke in aghast. "Tygra… are you mad?"

"No…" a look on confusion now registered on his features. "But…I still love you…I do….and I would do anything to win you back…"

"Tygra…" her voice lowered. "I will never regret what we had…." She spoke softly. "But I love your brother….I wouldn't have married him if I did not."

"You will abandon your people for the love of my idiotic brother?" his tone had changed to one of anger once again.

"I did not abandon Thundera, Tygra." She spoke firmly. "You did."

And at that moment the door crashed, revealing an injured Nikolia and Lion-O. Tygra rapidly pulled out his whip and aimed for the cleric. Lion-O freed Cheetara as the young leopard tried to fend off Tygra's attack.

"Go your highness!" Nikolia barked as his back was against the wall.

Lion-O grabbed Cheetara by the hand and took off.

Nikolia winced as the tiger whipped him. He had barely escaped the assault of his three lieutenants but he had freed Katerina and that was the more important goal. He had managed to fatally wound both the dog and the black cat but the white wolf escaped. He had then set out to find prince Lion-O and together they had teamed up against the traitor General Grune. They were, however, too late to save King Claudus as he perished in the hands of Mumm-Ra.

"What is it about my little brother that earns your loyalty, you imp?" Tygra snarled as he grabbed the cleric by the throat and start to choke him. "You know you don't have to die tonight, cleric."

"I will lay my life for my kingdom and my king." NIkolia sputtered as he started to spit out blood.

"You and your misplaced loyalties!" Tygra threw Nikolia against the wall. The tiger lunged on him, missing his jugular by a hair. Nikolia had blocked the attack with his staff, pushing with all his might to keep the blade the tiger held against his throat. "You are fine warrior Nikolia…don't waste your talents on this fallen kingdom. Why don't you be one of my lieutenants and conquer the world?"

"Over my dead body."

"As you wish!"

* * *

That had seemed to be the beginning of the end…or the end of the beginning. Which is which, he could not tell.

Tygra turned over in his metal bed. It was hard to believe it had already been ten years since then. Ten years of chaos, pain, misery. He had been the aggressor the first few years of that decade, and when Mumm-Ra's forces had been defeated he had gone on the run. His former allies have either abandoned them or were obliterated by the united forces of the animals. His last stand had been a hidden fortress in the mountains west of Thundera. He fought well and good when they tried to capture him, but he had been severely outnumbered.

When he woke up he had chained from his neck to his feet and had found himself in front of his brother and his former flame. He may have been on the run, but he had known that Lion-O and Cheetara had children, and had lead Thundera into prosperity, the only blemish in that happiness was his presence and continued elusion of the Thunderan military. Living on the run had become a chore after a while, and Tygra had figured that subconsciously he may have given it up by the time Panthro and Bengali had him cornered.

Tomorrow he faces the guillotine.

Am I ready to die?

Countless times he had asked himself that when he led Mumm-Ra's forces into battle. He had promised himself that he was going to live, no matter what, and that fueled his passion to keep on fighting, even with the mass desertion from the lizard army, with Grune's death, with the coming of the new generals. He was going to live and conquer. That determination was the fuel to his fire, chasing down his brother and their makeshift team of Thunderan misfits. Racing after the stones, retrieving the sword of Plundarr, steamrolling any ally of the Thundercats that came his way. He was the scourge of third earth, and he knew at times that he struck fear in some inhabitants of the planet even more than Mumm-Ra did. He was driven by a desire to show he was more than an orphan tiger that lions had taken pity on, that he was mighty in his own right and that he, more than Lion-O deserved to be a ruler. He was not going to be second fiddle to someone he thought was neither his equal nor his rival.

That was what kept him going, that he was going to be one great leader, have his own kingdom, his own queen. Ten years later he was none of that, and had nothing to show for it.

Was it all for naught?

In the time of his solitude he spent hours thinking if he had made a mistake.

_Did I?_

_Have I wasted a decade of my life for nothing?_

_Chasing after a dream that wasn't meant to be?_

_Running after a woman who wanted nothing to do with him?_

_What has become of me?_

Tygra didn't feel like he wanted to hear the answer to that question.

They say that your entire life flashed before your eyes at the moment of your death. Tygra surmised that maybe at that very second he may have realized what his life had meant, if any at all.

But when he had gotten to the guillotine he realized he didn't want to go down this way. Kneeling in front of the race he had once tried to destroy and idly fall to his fate in the hands of a masked executioner. That's when he found himself challenging his brother to a duel. He found himself still bearing hatred for him who he felt had taken everything away from him and when he raised his borrowed sword, Tygra had meant to plunge it straight into his brother's heart. Maybe Lion-O's death would fill the empty space in his chest where his heart had been.

But then the lightning struck.

And everything had turned black.

He was quite sure he had died and gone to hell.

When he opened his eyes to see soldiers preparing him for burial, he realized this was not how he wanted it to be.

To be thrown upon the merciless seas like a common criminal.

So he summoned all his strength, and fought back.

He sustained injuries, felt weak, wounded himself so severely he didn't think he would make it past the gates. But he did. He gave good chase, finding his invisibility handy in taking down both Panthro and Cheetara when they came upon him. Ironically, the weapon he used was an old present from her. He had held on it throughout those years, hoping against hope that she would come back to him. Alas that was not meant to be.

Some days he wondered if his feelings for her were still of love, or merely that of holding on to what good memories he had when life was a little simpler.

Memories…is that all there is?

He gave one last battle with his brother. And when he did, we wondered.

This Lion-O, this one who he had faced in the arena….the one he confronted in the forest…seemed different. Different from the brother he had known before he had crossed to the other side. Perhaps in the ten years that he had not been with him, he had changed? As though he hesitated in battling him? He had faced his brother in combat in those ten years, but something about their recent encounters was something he could not put a finger on. Perhaps he had a change of heart? He had known that his brother at one point had been jealous of his accomplishments and his relationship with Cheetara…and had apparently been verbal about it. But this one…he didn't appear to be such. Then of course he now had all of what Tygra used to. Of course he would not be jealous. Then again, he didn't rub it in Tygra's face either, which he would have expected.

And then he asked for forgiveness.

That was the biggest puzzle of all.

It then dawned on Tygra, in what he thought were the last few breaths of his sorry life that it was not his brother's fault.

It was not he who chose to be born or be king. It was not the lion's fault that Claudus had taken favor upon him and disregarded Tygra. Nor did he mean to steal Cheetara from him. They had thought he was dead and had likely fallen in love in the midst of their grief.

Yet he asked for forgiveness for that which he had done wrong.

_You did no wrong, Lion-O. I did._

He had wanted to say that to him but his lips had been too weak to move.

Then Panthro had that laser trained on him.

Perhaps, this was the best thing.

He was bound for hell, and he knew it.

There was no redemption for him. He felt he had nothing to live for anyway.

No kingdom, no crown, no queen.

Not even a memory of any of those.

He came into this world with nothing, and will leave it with nothing but the sins he had committed.

Is it too late to ask for forgiveness?

Too late for repentance?

Too late to right the wrong?

In this case that's what it felt like.

And in this case he will accept his fate.

The loud explosion followed the bright blast of light.

Forgive me, Lion-O. Cheetara. Father. People of Thundera.

It sounded moot, but those were the last few words he uttered before the world disappeared before his eyes.

* * *

_7/14/12_

_It took me a while to get this written, but here it is. _

_Many thanks to The New Mandalord for writing the action scenes! Goodness knows it would have taken longer if I wrote them myself._

_And since for some weird reason this fic was written backwards, the next chapter was actually written before this one and the one before it._

_I hope you enjoyed this, as depressing as it is, LOL. That was truly intentional, thus the subtitle of the chapter._

_This was a prelude to In His Shoes, a background of why Tygra had morphed into the evilness we knew and the latter part delves into his mind during his captivity._

_Many thanks to the friends who supported me in writing this fic. Tygra's lieutenants are a nod to them, Blanca and Toni. Nikolia is a morphed OC from The New Mandalord's fic It's Good To Be the King and Assassin of Thundera. I'm in this fic too, as Askal, a tribute to my Filipino roots. Askal is slang for "asong kalye" which means street dog. _

_Cheetara: Wow, this story was….erm…sad._

_Tygra: *glowering* But…but..you love me! Where's my happy ending?_

_Me: That comes in chapters 3 and 4…which ironically have already been written before this one ^_^._

_Nikolia: Do I get a happy ending too?_

_Me: Nikkie, I've written so much smut about you, you've had more happy endings than you know what to do with._

_NIkolia: Where is it then?  
Me: Ask your boss The New Mandalord. It's likely in his inbox. LOL._

_Lion-O: What about me?  
Me: Fercryinoutloud Lion-O, go back to In His Shoes. There's a chapter 4 to that…hopefully before the year ends. Everyone else, please read and review! And should this fic not please you for one reason or another, there's a lot more out there you can read, k?_

_These lyrics are from the song "Crying" by Roy Orbison and K.D. Lang. This was the one that played in my head while writing this. It's a beautiful version, do look it up on You Tube if you have a chance._

I was all right for a while, I could smile for a while  
But I saw you last night you held my hand so tight  
As you stopped to say hello  
Oh, you wished me well, you couldn't tell  
That I've been crying over you, crying over you  
And you said, so long  
Left me standing all alone  
Alone and crying, crying, crying, crying  
It's hard to understand but the touch of your hand  
Can start me crying

I thought that I was over you  
But it's true, so true  
I love you even more than I did before  
But darling, what can I do  
For you don't love me and I'll always be  
Crying over you, crying over you

Yes, now you're gone and from this moment on  
I'll be crying, crying, crying, crying  
Yeah, crying, crying over you


	3. Atonement

Redemption

A spinoff of In His Shoes

By Fuuko no Miko aka Kenumi

Part 3

Atonement

Author notes:

_This was originally inserted in the third installment of "In His Shoes" but since I owe Tygra one…_

_Tygra: Yes you do! You owe me big time._

_As I was saying, eherm, since I owe the snarky prince one, I spun it off into an entire story. Hopefully it isn't going to take more than one chapter._

_Tygra: And don't forget my scenes with Cheetara._

_Goodness! Aren't you demanding? You're not even sure she's going to be in this one!_

_Tygra: Of course_ she will be. Like you've said before, she's in all your stories.

_Anywho…I own nothing of Thundercats or any of its original characters. That honor and privilege belongs to the good folks at WB who I hope finally give us dang season 2._

* * *

It was one of those days that rarely came, but did. The torrential rain had been its precedent, now a dense fog covered most of Thundera. It was late and Cheetara had just returned from a journey with King Claudus to the far-flung kingdom of the Siberian cats in the mountain regions. As Jaga's right hand cleric she served in the most important of missions. This one had involved establishing diplomatic ties with other kingdoms.

The fog had been so thick she could barely see her hand in front of her face. She stifled a yawn as she uncharacteristically slowly walked up the steps towards the cleric headquarters.

She almost stumbled as her foot hit an object directly in front of the door. A big object it was too.

"What in Thundera's name…"

She adjusted her vision as parts of the fog moved to allow her to see what she almost tripped on.

It was a cat. A sizable one.

She used her staff to poke the seemingly sleeping figure. "This isn't a place to rest your head." she declared as she tried to push the subject to wakefulness. "Please move. You're blocking the door."

The figure let out a barely audible groan. When Cheetara lifted her staff she saw smudges on its tip.

Is that blood?

She carefully bent down on one knee and tried to turn over the figure slumped by the door. She felt something wet on her hand as she touched its shoulder.

More blood.

The figure finally turned over. He was covered in injuries, his wounds actively oozing. If he hadn't moved his lips in an attempt to speak, she would've thought he was dead.

Cheetara took off to get Jaga.

"He's heavy." Leda said as she and two other clerics tried to roll the injured cat unto a pallet. They took the unconscious subject to the Infirmary, a short distance from the clerics' quarters. Cheetara followed them and dismissed the other two who helped them carry the injured cat to the treatment area.

Cheetara was about to leave when Leda called her.

"Hey, aren't you going to help me Tara?"

The cheetah raised a brow. "Where's Alaric?" she asked, referring to the puma's fellow medic and partner-in-crime.

"Home. Food poisoning." the other feline replied. "Told him that squid was undercooked…but does he listen to me? Noooo…." she motioned her head towards their patient. "This poor soul needs a lot of help."

Much as she was tired, the cheetah decided to help the other cat. They've been friends for a while and from the looks of this cat's injuries, Leda could use all the help she can get. Only she and Alaric worked the night shift at the infirmary and there was no one else there for assistance.

Leda went to the supply room to get additional bandages and cleaning solutions. Cheetara was left to watch the patient.

He was a tiger. There weren't too many of those around Thundera. A whole village of them had been slaughtered decades ago by invading enemy troops. He was wearing what appeared to be a soldier's uniform, but it was in tatters. He didn't have any insignias so she wasn't sure if he was even from around here. She wasn't aware of any wars going on nearby. Maybe he was attacked coming home?

His wounds appeared deep and grave. They were relatively fresh too. He had so many of them she was surprised he was still alive.

"Catch." Leda tossed her some large, cutting scissors. "We've got to get this nasty uniform off of him." she said. "So we can evaluate all of his injuries." The puma started hacking away off his clothes from the leg up while Cheetara was tasked to do the upper body one.

The duo efficiently discarded their patient's clothes, save for his underwear. Leda started preparing the cleaning solution as Cheetara took a visual inventory of the tiger.

Under all that blood and dirt, she could tell he was a good looking cat. No, not just good looking. He was handsome. Very handsome, even with the scar on his right cheek. He was in good shape too. His shoulders were broad, as well as his chest. The muscles on his arms appeared firm, and his legs and thighs appeared strong and well-shaped.

"Eherm." Leda cleared her throat, breaking Cheetara of her reverie as she handed her a warm cloth. "Clean-up time! Be gentle…" the puma reminded her. "Much as he's not conscious, he might not welcome rubbing vigorously on his wounds."

Cheetara nodded as she took the cloth and started cleaning him down. Leda worked from his legs up while Cheetara worked from his face down to his waist. They were silent for a while as they cleaned off the debris and blood on their subject. He was unconscious and breathing shallowly. This was the only indication he was still among the living.

"He's pretty hot."

The cheetah raised her brows as Leda broke the silence. "I'm sorry?"

Leda giggled. "Oh Tara, just because you're sequestered in that monastery doesn't mean you don't appreciate a nice specimen when you see one." she winked at the other cat. Cheetara felt the red creep up her cheeks to which the puma laughed. "He's quite the looker. We don't get that often around here." Leda shrugged. "Maybe it's just my weakness for tigers."

Cheetara just laughed nervously in response to the puma. Maybe she had been caught looking too long at their patient. She scolded herself for doing so, but there was something about him that seemed to beckon to her. Something magnetic.

They continued to clean up his wounds of blood and debris. Leda started grinding some herbs to place in his injuries. Cheetara was tasked to place some antiseptic on the wounded areas to which he flinched. He attempted to open his eyes when she dabbed a particularly nasty looking area on his chest.

He barely opened them as he weakly turned his head to the source of the pressure on his chest. He faintly registered a golden-haired figure trying to sanitize his injuries. She smiled tentatively at him when his amber-colored gaze met her rose-colored ones.

"Cheetara?"

The cheetah's eyes widened when the tiger mumbled her name. He closed his eyes again as he felt too weak.

Leda's head turned so fast her hair flew right over her shoulders. "You know him Tara?"

"No." the cheetah denied. "I've never met him in my life."

"How'd he know your name then?" Leda turned to apply some of the medication to the tiger's wounds. "Unless you have it emblazoned on your forehead…which you don't." she put her hand on her waist. "Although…I'm sure you'd remember a stud if you met him right?" she teased, to which Cheetara turned a bright red.

"He can hear you." The cheetah reminded her friend.

"I doubt he's never heard women gush over him before." Leda dismissed her nonchalantly. "Besides, I'm taken."

Cheetara nodded. Leda and Bengali had been together for as long as she could remember.

"You'd look cute together though." The puma chuckled when her friend turned an even brighter red.

"Do you want my help or not?" Cheetara pretended to be upset as she put the medication bottle down and motioned to walk away.

"Fine…fine!" the puma continued to apply the pounded medicines to the tiger's injuries. "You know I'm just giving you a hard time."

Cheetara grumbled as she picked up the rest of the herbs Leda had prepared and restarted applying them on the patient. Though deep inside, she smiled a little. Truth be told she didn't mind Leda's teasing too much.

Just a little bit.

She tried not to be too self conscious as she cleaned and dressed his wounds. She tried to ignore the fact that he was, indeed, quite a looker. His arms were firm and felt strong under her touch, as was his chest. It was a good thing Leda did the lower half of his body, as the medic was so used to these things she didn't show an ounce of embarrassment. Cheetara wasn't sure she could do the same thing.

"He's pale." Leda said once they finished bandaging him. "Luckily there's some tiger blood in the reserves." She marched to the cooler and pulled out two units of blood. She patted his arm to find a vein. "I'm going to give you some blood." She spoke to the tiger's ear. It twitched so she knew he can somewhat hear her. "You're going to feel a little needle prick okay?"

He nodded weakly and barely flinched when the puma stuck him with a needle, administering him some fluids while warming the blood unit needed to replace what he had lost.

Cheetara figured she was done and set out to leave.

"You're not going to leave alone with this stranger, are you Tara?" Leda raised a brow when Cheetara motioned to head for the door.

"Well…"

Cheetara sighed. Leda was right. They still have no clue who he was, but Jaga had decided to have him treated and not let him die on the steps of the House of Clerics. Leda was more medic than warrior and would probably be unsafe to be left alone with a cat they didn't know.

"You owe me." Cheetara decided at last as she plopped on the floor next to the treatment table. She leaned and rested her weary head against a huge roll of gauze by the wall.

"Thanks!" the puma hugged her friend and went back to supplies room. "No need to sleep on the floor though!" Leda pulled out a makeshift cot and placed it a few feet away from the tiger.

"We'll take turns watching him." Leda said as she prepared the unit of blood. "I'll take the first few hours. Get some rest."

The cheetah nodded before taking the spot the puma had set out for her. She fell asleep relatively fast as the activities of the day took a toll on her.

* * *

Tygra opened his eyes with a start.

He expected to be in hell.

But when his vision adjusted to the faint lights on the ceiling, he figured he was still alive.

He vaguely remembered the events of the last few hours.

He remembered escaping the palace, taking off for the woods, battling Lion-O and being on the receiving end of Panthro's laser gun. Then there was an explosion. That was the last thing he recalled.

He looked around with weary eyes. He was bandaged and cleaned. His uniform was gone and he was undressed down to his britches. On his arm was an IV unit that was connected to a bag of blood.

Somebody had the pity to save his sorry behind.

He wondered who would be so charitable to a wanted criminal.

Much as his neck and back hurt he tried to turn and look around some more. He figured he was in an infirmary seeing all the medical supplies on the wall. The bed he was in was a treatment bed, not the most comfortable in the world but good enough for fixing up injuries. At the corner of his eye he saw a sleeping figure wrapped in blankets, laid in a bed a few feet away. From the top of her head he identified it as Leda, one of the palace medics. She was snoozing quite heavily as she did. He figured she was the one fixed him up. But why she would aid him puzzled him. She was as faithful to the crown as any Thunderan was and saving his life was probably the last thing she would do.

"Identify yourself."

He turned to the source of the voice and was met with a staff within a breadth of his face. His gaze moved to see who held the weapon.

He knew that voice from anywhere.

He knew that scent from anywhere too.

The look in her rose-colored eyes, however, didn't register an ounce of recognition.

"Cheetara?" he asked tentatively, although he knew it was her. She furrowed her brows at his calling her by first name. Perhaps she did know who he was?

"You didn't answer my question." She evaded his identification of her. "Who are you? And where did you come from?"

"My name is Tygra." He answered slowly, gauging her reaction to his name. There was none. "I am from Thundera."

The look on her face showed suspicion. "What happened to you, Tygra?"

"Just got into a scuffle." He replied, attempting to sit up and wincing with the pain that came from the movement. "I bit off more than I could chew."

He sat up as straight as he could. Cheetara's staff was still trained on him.

"Don't try anything funny." She warned as she sped off, returning with chains and chaining him to the bed. She did it so fast before Tygra could register what she was doing.

_Not these again_…he thought to himself as he looked at the bindings that she placed around his hands and legs. He did manage to smile at her, though.

"I am your grateful captive." He tilted his head, flashing a come-hither smile that typically sent other felines on their knees begging for a marriage proposal. She responded with a scowl.

"Thank you for saving me." Tygra clarified when she didn't reply.

"Leda did most of your saving." She motioned to other sleeping cat. "I just had the fortune of tripping on your almost lifeless body."

He nodded. "I was the fortunate one." He acknowledged, still trying to win her over with what charm he could muster. It wasn't working.

"Get some rest. You need to get better." She all but dismissed him as she turned around and put her staff in a less defensive position. She marched out of the treatment room, resisting the temptation to look back at him. She could feel his amber eyes burning a hole in her back and she just about snapped at him for making her feel uncomfortable.

Even his voice had an alluring quality to it.

Stop it, Cheetara. She scolded herself again. Who knows what secrets this stranger holds? He could be a wanted criminal from another kingdom! She tried to dismiss the thought of the handsome patient in the infirmary and concentrate her thoughts on anything but.

She took a spot behind the infirmary door and stood guard. Her body was tired but her mind was wide awake, wondering if he was who he said he was and why he knew her name.

His smile almost made her knees buckle.

It was a good thing Leda was asleep, otherwise Cheetara knew she would never hear the end of it.

* * *

Alaric took his sweet time getting better. Apparently the squid that got him sick was not only undercooked, it wasn't that fresh either. Leda had thus enlisted the cheetah's help to care for their patient when her shift came at night time. Jaga had allowed her to do so, as they didn't have too many activities going on at the clerisy. Their patient slept throughout most of her shift, from time to time he would wake up and eat something. He slowly regained his strength and his wounds healed beautifully. He would talk to her a little, but Cheetara did her best to avoid him anyway. She would clean and dress his wounds and walk away as soon as she was done.

She was avoiding prolonged contact with Tygra. Not because he was being inappropriate, but mostly because she felt odd every time she was around him.

Particularly when he smiled at her and tried to meet her eyes with his.

Her heart would race, sometimes skip a beat or two. She would start to feel a flush in her cheeks or fluttering at the pit of her stomach. Other times she would feel a lump in her throat or that her mouth would feel dry.

It was the weirdest thing.

For a while she thought she was getting sick.

She had mentioned it to Leda one time, to which the puma laughed heartily.

"Tara, that's what's called attraction." She explained, the conniving smile not leaving her lips. She winked at Cheetara before continuing. "Can't blame you though, he's very attractive. I think he likes you too."

Cheetara had to hold her tongue from either agreeing or snapping at Leda. She was not going to get teased! She kept everything to herself from then on.

Finally Alaric got his health in check and took over for which the cleric was thankful for. At least she didn't have to sleep a few feet away from Tygra anymore. Thoughts of him never escaped her though, as his presence invaded her dreams.

Her dreams were not exactly appropriate either.

She would wake up from them, feel her heart palpitate, her breathing fast and feel her body quiver, the images still fresh in her mind as though they were real.

This has got to stop, she thought.

She just wished she knew how to stop them.

When Jaga learned that the injured cat had been feeling better he made a visit, bringing Cheetara with him.

"Good day Jaga!" Leda greeted the head cleric as he arrived at the infirmary.

"I'm glad Alaric is better." he said as he entered the treatment area.

"So am I." Cheetata mumbled under her breath.

Tygra slowly sat up when Jaga and Cheetara entered. He was still sore from head to toe but at least he was not as weak and dizzy as he was the weeks before. The blood transfusion had helped him tremendously.

"Take it easy, young cat." Jaga motioned for him not to straighten up as he was still obviously in pain. "I am but a mortal like you."

Tygra nodded in acknowledgement of the elder cleric. He smiled at Cheetara when he saw her standing behind her senior.

Jaga pulled a chair to sit right across Tygra. He studied him with his experienced eyes, observing every wound, every scar. Tygra felt he was being read like a book.

"What brings you here, Tygra?" the head cleric inquired. "I sense a weary soul within."

"I am…" the tiger replied. He met Jaga eye to eye. He wasn't going to sugar coat his past. "I've lost my way…metaphorically…" he paused to see the older cat's reaction. There was none. "I thought I was going to die…but now that I've survived, I feel the need for redemption."

Cheetara's eyes narrowed suspiciously. She examined Tygra, watching for any signs of deception.

"Redemption…" Jaga spoke, "Is earned, not granted."

"I am more than willing to earn it." Tygra answered with determination. "I have done my fellow cats a disservice…and I wish to make it up…however long it takes…whatever it takes."

"And how would you like to redeem yourself, young cat?"

Tygra made sure he had good eye contact with Jaga before he spoke. "I wish to become a cleric and serve the crown."

Leda audibly gasped in the background, making Cheetara turn and glare at her and shoot her a hushing look. She motioned for the puma to be silent.

"Allow me to think about that, Tygra." Jaga said as he stood up. "I am glad you're feeling better." The head cleric then turned to the two female Thundercats. "Good job, Leda, Cheetara. This young man owes you two his life."

"And for that I am eternally grateful." Tygra said, acknowledging both the female felines, though his gaze lingered longer on the cheetah.

Leda tried to stifle a giggle as the two clerics made their exit. She turned to Tygra with whom she had now actually cultivated a bit of a friendship with. "You like her, don't you?"

A sheepish smile found its way to his lips. "Yeah…she's not taken is she?"

The puma smiled back, "Not as far as I know. You better be gentle with my friend though." She eyed him warily. "You look like the heartbreaker type."

He drew a cross on his chest. "Not when I have my sights set." He winked.

Tygra made a full recovery four weeks after they had first found him on the steps of the House of Clerics. It was also then that he had arranged to meet Jaga there for a decision on whether he would be accepted into the clerisy or not.

"Thank you very much." He gave Leda a friendly hug when she finally took off all his bandages. "You don't know how grateful I am."

"Just watch my dear friend for me." Leda whispered in his ear. "She thinks she doesn't need anyone to take care of her, but she does."

It was that very second when Cheetara stepped in to fetch the tiger. She didn't react when she saw him give the puma a hug but inside she felt an unfamiliar feeling of possessiveness.

"Thanks Leda." Cheetara said in a harried voice. "Jaga awaits." She then turned to Tygra.

Leda waved goodbye, smiling to herself as she saw the two walk side by side towards the cleric house.

"They look so cute together." She spoke to no one in particular. "Good luck making her let her guard down."

"You are just the cheesiest." Leda heard Alaric comment behind her.

"And you're just jealous because you're too chicken to ask her out." She stuck a tongue at him as she sashayed away.

* * *

"Who's that?"

"He's hot."

"Do you think they're together?"

"He would look better on my arm."

Cheetara tried to ignore the not-so-subtle comments of the other female cats they passed on the way to the cleric quarters from the infirmary. From the corner of her eye she could see Tygra smiling nicely at the ladies who kept trying to get his attention. He has recovered well that the previous wounds on his body were no longer visible. One of the male clerics had given him an old set of clothes for him to wear to replace his tattered uniform. It fit him well to a tee, showing off his muscular frame. The dark green hues seemed to enhance his coloring and his gentle eyes.

_He could wear a paper bag and still look attractive in it._

Stop it, Cheetara. She mentally berated herself. You don't know him.

They reached the House of Clerics and Cheetara led him in. Jaga was standing to a corner, observing the trainees as they sparred with their staffs. He turned and acknowledged the arrival of the two cats.

"Still determined to join us?" Jaga asked the tiger who vigorously nodded.

"More than ever." He replied, bowing his head in respect to the elder cleric.

"I see." Jaga motioned to one of the clerics who was standing by. "Show me your skills."

Cheetara recognized the other cleric as Juris, one of the mid-ranking clerics and a very able fighter, though he has never had the fortune to beat her.

Tygra prepared himself as the cleric threw him a wooden sword. He wished he had his whip with him but he knew his skills were just as good with the sword. He met the cloaked cleric in the center of the ring as they started to circle each other.

Concentrate.

Tygra made the first offensive move as he charged with his sword, Juris promptly jumping out of place to avoid him. The other cat swung his staff across Tygra's back which he avoided narrowly by moving sideways. They faced each other again, calculating each other's move. Juris took to attack this time, leaping in the air with his staff twirling above his head. Tygra held up the sword to defend himself when the other cat struck with the tip of his staff striking the tiger's weapon and sending the sword flying away. Before the tiger could respond he was greeted by a kick on the chest by the cleric. This spot happened to be where his injury was and he felt the air kicked out of his lungs.

Cheetara tried not to react when Tygra fell on his back with a loud thud.

He's probably still smarting from his old wounds, she thought, not allowing herself to look concerned.

Tygra struggled to sit up as Juris beckoned to him with a hand. He decided against trying to retrieve his sword as that would mean turning his back against his opponent. He was just going to have to do with hand to hand combat. The tiger got on his knee and charged again, head first. The cleric leapt out of the way but Tygra jumped at the last second too. He gave him a spinning kick that sent him flying across the room.

Juris was just about to stand up when Tygra tackled him. The cleric managed to hold on to his staff and used it to break the full impact of the tackle. The tiger appeared to have hurt himself on the staff and rolled sideways but managed to grab the cleric's leg. The two of them both fell on the mat. Tygra made for the cleric's staff and kicked it away.

The cleric flashed Tygra an annoyed look and put his claws up in preparation for hand to hand combat. He charged and tried to nail the tiger with a swing. Tygra ducked as the cleric kept coming at him with blows using his arms and legs. Juris was fast and several of them connected with Tygra's chest and face. He still managed to avoid most of the attack blocking them as much as he could. Deciding he couldn't be just defending himself forever, the tiger figured out a strategy. For a while he allowed the other cat to hit him, whilst he calculated his speed and pattern of attack. When he found an opening, Tygra seized Juris' ankle when it tried to kick him in the head and twisted it. A loud yelp was heard as the cleric fell to the ground. Tygra followed this with a rapid chop on his opponent's knee, eliciting another cry of pain as Juris curled over the mat in defeat.

Jaga nodded as Tygra helped his opponent stand up. Limping, Juris apologized to the head cleric who just replied to him under his breath. He then turned to the tiger, "Well fought, Tygra." He spoke. "But you have much to learn before you are allowed to join our ranks…if you make it."

Tygra bowed his head. "I will do whatever it takes, Jaga."

"Very well."

* * *

The head cleric was not exaggerating when he said Tygra had much to learn.

For while it only took Cheetara a few days to be allowed into the clerisy, it took Tygra almost ten times as long.

Jaga put him through the ringer.

For six months.

He had to undergo a "cleansing of the soul" to atone for his past wrongs. While he never revealed anything about his shady past, Tygra felt Jaga knew his misdeeds. He was sentenced to hard physical labor, was not allowed any "earthly comforts" and was allowed to speak only when spoken to. The first week of it would have broken any cat who dared, but Tygra was determined to show Jaga and Cheetara he was more than a one trick pony.

Ironically it was Juris who spoke to him the most. They hit it off quick after an initial animosity. They had become friends within a week of their initial meeting, however limited their contact was. They had developed a hand signal where Juris would pat his chest three times, signaling "Hang in there."

Tygra tried to, as hard as he possibly could.

Cheetara watched him on the sidelines. She was quite amazed with his tenacity and perseverance. His sentence didn't allow him to speak to her much, but when they did he was always so polite yet would throw in some flirtatiousness from time to time. He has certain charm about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

He had not just gotten into her head. He stayed in it.

There would be a stretch of days where she wouldn't see him as he was confined in an isolated room for meditation and he still managed to be on her mind.

In the nights when she would lay in her bed, thoughts of him would creep in her mind, no matter how hard she tried to block it.

She was certain he had bewitched her.

For how else could he be constantly in her thoughts and even in her dreams?

Leda once told her you can't always help who you fall for.

She wondered if that was what was happening to her.

Is she falling for their new recruit?

Thundera forbid!

* * *

"I will be gone for ten days, Cheetara." Jaga told her one day during the last stretch of Tygra's initiation. "We need to address these insurgent lizards before they get out of hand."

The younger cleric nodded. "Do you want me to come with you?"

The elder cleric shook his head. "If it all comes to a head the clerics need an able leader to carry on." He told her. "I know you are more than capable to take over the helm."

The cheetah was horrified of the thought that Jaga may not return. "You can't leave us, Jaga!" she insisted. "I don't think I'm ready."

"I know you are ready, Cheetara." He reassured. "You are more ready than anyone else."

Jaga started down the hallway towards the main halls of the castle when Cheetara called after him. "Tygra…is not done with his initiation." She said. "What do you want me to do with him?"

The old jaguar smiled. "Whatever you wish."

He disappeared in the blink of an eye.

The cheetah was stumped.

She turned to the Book of Judgment that was used as a gauge to see if one is fit for the clerisy. She leafed through it to see what stage he was at. As far as she could remember he was close to finishing the preliminary testing. He had been placed through the toughest of the rites, one saved for those who needed a thorough cleansing of the soul.

Has he done a great wrong to have to go through this process? As far as she could remember they had only a handful of cats that had been put through this trial and no one had made it through.

He was almost at the finish line.

She spent some more time reading the last few pages before deciding the next course of action.

Tygra was cleaning the cleric sparring room when Cheetara found him. Not being an official cleric he wasn't allowed to wear the cat's head cloak. He was on his knees, scrubbing a particularly stubborn stain on the floor, his top off and wearing only his borrowed pants. There was a thin sheen of sweat on his back, his muscles, now more well-defined from all the physical labor he had been doing, rippling with every movement he made.

The cheetah tried to banish the thought that first came into her head when she first saw his well-toned form.

Tygra turned about, sensing her presence. He got up and bowed his head in respect. He was not allowed to speak to her unless she talked to him first. She was wearing her cleric's cloak but he knew it was her.

She set her focus on his face as she evaded looking at his heaving chest. That didn't make her heart palpitate less. His gaze had a probing quality to them that made her feel that he was looking through her soul.

"I will take over your initiation rites." she declared. "Jaga is engaged in other matters."

Tygra nodded in acknowledgment.

_You can take over me anytime_, he mentally added, trying not to smile at that sentence.

"I will be in the library." she told him. "Meet me there when you are done."

"Yes Cheetara."

Cheetara made an about face and headed for the library, breathing a sigh of relief. She's really got to get over this silliness she felt whenever she was around him. It wasn't like he was a complete distraction, as her mental strength was better than that. There was just something about him that drew her to pay more heed than what she usually does with other cats.

Tygra finished faster than he had started, eager to meet her in the cleric library. He hadn't seen her much and the little time he did get he had very limited verbal contact. It was as though she was trying to avoid him. That didn't discourage him, however, if anything, it made him more determined to win her over. She was the force that kept him going through these trials he was going through. He swore he had cleaned every nook and cranny of the House of clerics, washed every stinking piece of laundry in the "punishment pile" and peeled more vegetables in the last six months than he had eaten in his entire lifetime. But her presence motivated him, whether it be physically or mentally. If this was what he had to do to be with her then he would do it again ten times over.

The experience was very humbling as well. As a prince he never had to do any of these chores. He had servants at his every beck and call. Even when he served in Mumm-Ra's army he had slaves that catered to his every whim. Here he had to do everything himself from making his bed…which was not much really other than a blanket on the cold floor, to making his own meals. He was also sent out to the community to help out those in need as part of the clerisy vow of service to Thundera. He's fixed roofs, tore down walls and rebuilt broken furniture for the poorest of the poor.

"You just wait 'til you pass this hard labor." Juris had told him one time he was so spent he could barely keep his eyes open. "Jaga makes you do these things to teach you humility and service. Its part of the vow we take."

"If it doesn't kill me first…" he mumbled in response.

"The next stage will take you to the inside of the palace." The other cat encouraged. "Much nicer in there, less hot, more pretty girls to ogle, and if you're lucky enough, you get to rub elbows with the royals."

Tygra thought he didn't need to ogle pretty felines in the castle. The one he wanted lived right here in this very building.

Plus, if the ladies of the court here were anything like the ones in the world he left behind, then he's already done more than ogle a good majority of them.

Cheetara looked up when he entered. He had changed into a new set of clothes and by his scent he seemed to have cleaned up quite a bit. Not that it mattered but the thought that he might have wanted to be presentable to her tickled her thoughts.

The tiger thought he saw her smile a little when she saw him.

That was extremely encouraging.

Cheetara had him sit directly in front of her. It was just the two of them in the whole library, the place lit by the numerous lanterns on the wall which cast a sleepy glow. Tygra thought it was quite romantic.

The cheetah thought it was too, except that she didn't really want to go in that direction right at this moment.

She leaned over to go over a sheet that outlined the rest of Tygra's tasks for the next week. The tiger picked up her feminine scent as she did. It reminded him of wild flowers and spring blooms, needless to say it was intoxicating. Had he not been thinking of what consequences it may bring, he would've let bad boy Tygra take over, latch his lips upon her sweet neck and make her feel things not even her imagination could make up.

"Any questions?" she spoke up, breaking him from his momentary trance. She straightened up and raised a brow to see his inquiries. Tygra registered most of what she had relayed to him but he couldn't get his mind of some of the imagery in his head of all the things he wanted to do to her.

He shook his head. "All clear."

She closed the book of judgment and put it back in its place. "Come join us for supper." She invited him as she headed towards the door.

Of course that meant he would do all the dishes afterwards too.

But how could he resist?

Mess hall was one of the places where wearing your cat head cloak was optional, mostly because it wasn't practical to eat without making a mess. Tygra has never been to this area as we was mostly delegated to eat after everyone else was, and he ate typically leftovers if there were any, in the kitchen after he finished doing the dishes. As he entered behind Cheetara, a dark grayish cougar motioned him to come over. He had recognized him as Juris without his cloak on.

"Moving up in the world, hey?" Juris chided as Tygra took a seat next to him. Tygra wasn't allowed to sit near the cheetah because of his rank but was allowed to mingle with the middle rank and lower ranking clerics.

"You could say that." He smiled at his friend. He looked at the gracious amount of food in the middle of the table. This was certainly an upgrade from what he was used to.

They began eating, with the tiger savoring every bite he could. He realized how much he took for granted when he was in his royal stature. This was certainly a wake-up call for him. His gaze would wander to where Cheetara was, as she dined with the higher ranking clerics. For a moment or two he caught her looking his way too.

It was very encouraging indeed.

"Good luck if that's who you're hankering for." Juris chuckled when he caught him looking at Cheetara one too many times.

"What do you mean?" the tiger lifted a brow. "Is she with someone?"

The cougar shook his head. "No. But she's devoted to her position more than anything else. You won't be the first to try you know."

Tygra winked at his buddy. "You don't know me that well."

Juris laughed. "True." He said. "But you don't know Cheetara that well either." He chewed on some vegetables before adding. "Besides, she's going to be assigned to the castle soon after. You might get to see her less and less. I hear Jaga may have her keep an eye on Prince Lion-O."

Now more than ever was Tygra determined to win her affections.

Lion-O's already one-upped him in his world, he wasn't going to let that happen again.

* * *

The last week of his initiation was spent in the obstacle courses. Tygra had to undergo tests for speed, for patience, for strength and cunning. He passed all of them with flying colors, his determination to be accepted in the clerisy his main motivation. That he had extensive military training when he was younger and during his stint with Mumm-Ra helped him tremendously. A few days before Jaga was to return, he was woken up early from his 4 hour slumber by a poke on his side.

"Rise and shine." The cheetah's familiar voice spoke above him. "Judgment day is here."

Tygra got up, still sore from the previous day's events. He didn't let it show and rolled his sad excuse for a bed away.

"Pack up some clothes and food." She stated. "We're going on a trip. I'll meet you outside in a few minutes."

The tiger acknowledged her and quickly packed a small satchel. He's never had much of anything anyway, placing some mismatched hand-me-downs from the clerics who were his size (or used to be his size) and a few scraps of kitchen leftovers. When he stepped outside he noted it was still dark, he guessed it was a few hours before sunrise.

"Follow me." Cheetara motioned to him. She wasn't in her cleric cloak but had a regular cloak on with a hood. He figured they were going to go to somewhere a little colder. She threw him a similar outfit to stay warm in. She led the way and Tygra silently followed.

It took well over three hours of hiking that they finally reached their destination. It was at the peak of one of the mountains that bordered Thundera. Tygra knew she could've hit the area sooner if she used her speed, but she had been considerate enough to wait for him. At that moment, the sun had begun to peek through with its bright orange rays.

Cheetara put her own backpack down, lowered the hood of her cloak and savored the warmth of the rising sun's rays. She was a vision in red gold and orange, and that took the tiger's breath away as he watched her take a deep breath.

It was a few minutes before she finally spoke. She turned to him as she did. "Welcome to Mount Panthera." She said. Tygra was familiar with the mountain but he's never actually been here. He had read about it in his studies. It was one of the most beautiful of the mountains that surrounded Thundera, but one of the least explored due to its treacherous cliffs and steep pathways. It was a common place for those who had wished to end their misery, for which the mountain has gained notoriety.

"Normally Jaga would bring cleric trainees up here." She stated. "Although on several occasions I've had the honor to." She turned to him, a more serious appearance on her face. "This is your final test, Tygra."

Cheetara pulled out her staff, twirling it in her hand. Then and there Tygra figured out his last challenge. He was going to fight for his life, atop Thundera's most notorious peak. He didn't even have the sense to bring a weapon with him.

"Don't worry." She seemed to have read his thoughts. "I'm not going to let you battle me empty handed." She kicked her own backpack towards him. Out spilled a staff, a sword, and luckily, a whip. Tygra made the obvious choice. While this was not the whip he was used to, he knew how to manipulate it better than the other two weapons.

"Prepare….to fight for your life."

* * *

_7/21/2012_

_Author Notes:_

_See, Tygra isn't the only one who needs redemption, lol. I do too, after the depressing story that was chapter 2._

_This chapter is dedicated to all the wonderful folks at FFN Spots and Stripes and TyChee'rs Unite on Facebook._

_You guys rock the casbah! Jas, Dominique, Blanca, Phyllis, Lotor and everyone else I hope I didn't miss._

_This is also for every single Tygra x Cheetara fan in existence. Love our ship without attempting to sink others!_

_As for my other friend who is not a Ty-Chee fan but who might be reading this out of morbid curiosity…don't kill me :-P. I told you you're going to hate me after this. But I know what to bribe you with, ^_^;;;._

_Tygra: You know you don't have to bribe him with anything. I can take of that part if he tries to…._

_Nikolia: You are not touching my boss without going through me first._

_Me: Hey quit it you two. Nikkie you can't make an appearance here, you're in another dimension…and possibly dead._

_Nikolia: I am? *blinks repeatedly* but…but I thought you liked me._

_Me: Doesn't mean I can't kill you in a fic. Heck I said "possibly', now run along before I change my mind. _


End file.
